argot

/ˈɑːɡəʊ/

//ˈɑːɡəʊ// noun

"argot" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“argot” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
5
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A secret language or conventional slang peculiar to thieves, tramps and vagabonds.

Corpus desk

Index EN-argot · argot · English

argot · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "A" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for argot
PropertyValue
Headwordargot
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɑːɡəʊ/
Letters5
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “argot” in English

argotranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

argot is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɑːɡəʊ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

argot doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French argot, of unknown origin. The correct English form is argot, spelled A-R-G-O-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A secret language or conventional slang peculiar to thieves, tramps and vagabonds.
  2. 2
    The specialized informal vocabulary and terminology used between people with special skill in a field, such as between doctors, mathematicians or hackers.
  3. 3
    A strongly marked style of speaking.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how argot appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Sadie had, in the argot of the day, a really good built.
  2. The conversation was in the argot of the trade, full of acronyms and abbreviations that made no sense to the uninitiate.

Etymology

Borrowed from French argot, of unknown origin.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "argot"?
"argot" is spelled A-R-G-O-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɑːɡəʊ/.
What does "argot" mean?
As a noun, "argot" means: A secret language or conventional slang peculiar to thieves, tramps and vagabonds.
How do you pronounce "argot"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "argot" is /ˈɑːɡəʊ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "argot"?
Borrowed from French argot, of unknown origin. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list