Chilly, Chili, or Chile?

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Chilly, Chili, or Chile?

What are the differences between "chilly," "chili," and "Chile"?
  • A "chili" (American English) or "chilli" (British English) is a type of pepper. Many Hispanic Americans use "chile."
  • "Chilly" means cold.
  • "Chile" (always written with a capital letter) is a country in South America.
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More about "Chilly," "Chili," and "Chile"

Writers sometimes confuse "chili," "chilli", and "chile" (note the lowercase "c"). All three words can be used to describe a type of pepper. The one you use depends on your regional dialect. Americans use "chili." Hispanic Americans tend to use "chile." The British use "chilli."

Watch our video on the 10 main differences between American English and British English.

A Video Summary

Here is a one-minute video summarizing this lesson on chili, chilli, chilly, and Chile.

Chilly

The word "chilly" is an adjective meaning cold or cool. When used figuratively, "chilly" means unfriendly.

Examples of "Chilly" in Sentences

Here are two examples with "chilly":
  • Sweater: A garment worn by child when its mother is feeling chilly. (Author Ambrose Bierce)
    • (Here, "chilly" is used literally.)
  • He got a chilly reception from the Republican candidate.
    • (In this example, "chilly" is used figuratively.)

Chili

The noun "chili" refers to a spicy pepper.

There are three different spellings:
  • Chili (plural chilies or chilis) is the standard American English name.
  • Chilli (plural chillies or chillis) is typically used in British English.
  • Chile is of Spanish origin. It is most common in Spanish-speaking areas of the US.

Examples for the Spicy Pepper (Chili, Chilli, and Chile)

Here are three examples with each spelling for the spicy pepper:
  • Chili peppers originated in Mexico. ()
  • The intensity of the "heat" of chilli peppers is commonly reported in Scoville heat units (SHU). ()
  • From fresh, sweet cubanelles to the scorchingly hot Scotch bonnet, chile peppers come in all shapes, sizes, flavors, and levels of heat. ( Hispanic)

Chile

The proper noun "Chile" is a long, narrow country stretching along South America's western edge. Being a proper noun, it always has a capital letter.

Examples of "Chile" in Sentences

Here are two examples with "Chile":
  • On 12 February 1818, Chile was proclaimed an independent republic.
  • Chile's mines are very dangerous; the country has a lot of earthquakes.
Remember that "chile" is an alternative spelling of "chili/chilli," which is used in Spanish-speaking areas of the US. In this case, "chile" is written with a lowercase letter (unless it starts a sentence).
Interactive Exercise
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See Also

adverse or averse? affect or effect? appraise or apprise? avenge or revenge? bare or bear? complement or compliment? dependant or dependent? discreet or discrete? disinterested or uninterested? e.g. or i.e.? envy or jealousy? imply or infer? its or it's? material or materiel? poisonous or venomous? practice or practise? principal or principle? cannot or can not? who's or whose? What are adjectives? List of easily confused words