chapter and charter differ by a single letter, buried far enough into the word to be easy to miss. chapter means “a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled”. charter means “hold under a lease or rental agreement; of goods and services”. chapter is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈtʃæptɚ/
1.n.a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled
“he read a chapter every night before falling asleep”
2.n.any distinct period in history or in a person's life
“the industrial revolution opened a new chapter in British history”
3.n.a local branch of some fraternity or association
“he joined the Atlanta chapter”
/ˈtʃɑɹtɚ/
1.v.hold under a lease or rental agreement; of goods and services
2.v.grant a charter to
3.v.engage for service under a term of contract
“We took an apartment on a quiet street”
| chapter | charter | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈtʃæptɚ/ | /ˈtʃɑɹtɚ/ |
| Said | CHAP-tur | CHAHR-tur |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 7 | 7 |
| Parts of speech | noun | verb, noun |
| Senses | 5 | 5 |
| How common | Common | Familiar |
| Synonyms | none recorded | rent, hire, lease |
Full entry for chapter · Full entry for charter · More comparisons