Loop or loup?
loop is a noun meaning “A length of thread, line or rope that is doubled over to make an opening”; loup is a noun meaning “A mass or ball of iron in a pasty condition, beaten by the trip hammer or rolls”. They sound the same (/luːp/). In written English (wordfreq, 2021 data) loop is about 66 times as common as loup.
What is the difference between loop and loup?
| loop | loup | |
|---|---|---|
| Part of speech | noun, verb | noun |
| Meaning | A length of thread, line or rope that is doubled over to make an opening The opening so formed To form something into a loop | |
| Example | Arches, loops, and whorls are patterns found in fingerprints | none recorded |
| Forms | loops | loups |
| Pronunciation | /luːp/ | /luːp/ |
| In writing | 19 times per million words | about once in every 3 million words |
Sources: loop and loup in the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
Every current meaning of loop and loup
loop
- 1
A length of thread, line or rope that is doubled over to make an opening
- 2
To form something into a loop
- 3
Acronym of loss of offsite power
- 4
The opening so formed
- 5
To fasten or encircle something with a loop
- 6
A shape produced by a curve that bends around and crosses itself
Arches, loops, and whorls are patterns found in fingerprints
- 7
To fly an aircraft in a loop
- 8
A process that returns to its beginning and then repeats itself in the same sequence
feedback loop
Source: the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); obsolete, archaic, dialect and rare senses left out.
Which is more common, loop or loup?
loop appears 19 times per million words; loup about once in every 3 million words.
loop 19 times per million wordsloup about once in every 3 million words
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).