Play GamesMy progressVocabulary testSettings
en English es español fr française it italiano de deutsche ja 日本語 pl polski cs česky sv svenska tr Türkçe nl Nederlands

Please, sign up or log in to not lose your learning progress!

Brimming over: debunking the "chalk full" error

Reviewed and edited by Lloyd Cooper 05/10/2024, 20:55
English.me team member

What kind of error is it?

Chalk full or chock-full. What's correct?

Spelling and usage error

Why do people make this mistake?

People make the error because "chalk" and "chock" are homophones in some dialects, leading to confusion in spelling.

What is correct?

The correct expression is "chock-full", which means "full to overflowing" or "crammed/stuffed tightly." It's derived from the Old English word "chokkeful", meaning "crammed full".

Examples of correct usage

  • The basket was chock-full of ripe apples.
  • After the storm, the gutters were chock-full of leaves and debris.
  • The concert hall was chock-full of eager fans.

Recommended posts in Grammar

Why "make an appearance with" misses the mark

Why "make an appearance with" misses the mark

People often mistakenly mix up common phrases or collocations. In ... Learn more →

Why is it use to incorrect?

Why is it use to incorrect?

People often make this error due to phonetic confusion, as ... Learn more →

The problem with "to not to": a closer look

The problem with "to not to": a closer look

People often mistakenly use "to not to" by confusing the ... Learn more →

Why we say "two million" — not "two millions"

Why we say "two million" — not "two millions"

People often add "s" to "million" because, in general English ... Learn more →