au courant

/əʊ kʊˈɹɒn(t)/

//əʊ kʊˈɹɒn(t)// adj

"au-courant" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“au courant” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Up to date; informed about the latest developments; abreast.

Corpus desk

Index EN-au-courant · au courant · English

au courant · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 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 au courant
PropertyValue
Headwordau courant
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/əʊ kʊˈɹɒn(t)/
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “au courant” in English

au courantsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

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

Rare enough to double-check

au courant is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed /əʊ kʊˈɹɒn(t)/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Up to date; informed about the latest developments; abreast.".

au courant doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French au courant (literally “to the current”). The correct English form is au courant, spelled A-U- -C-O-U-R-A-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Up to date; informed about the latest developments; abreast.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Doctor Portman and Smirke were both cautious of informing the widow of the constant outbreak of calumny which was pursuing poor Pen, though Glanders, who was a friend of the house, kept him au courant.
  2. As Hemingway once noted, Paris is an old city—and so even a 1946 film looks au courant: part of the aesthetic air.

Etymology

Borrowed from French au courant (literally “to the current”).

Synonyms

au parfum

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 "au courant"?
"au courant" is spelled A-U- -C-O-U-R-A-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /əʊ kʊˈɹɒn(t)/.
What does "au courant" mean?
As an adjective, "au courant" means: Up to date; informed about the latest developments; abreast.
How do you pronounce "au courant"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "au courant" is /əʊ kʊˈɹɒn(t)/. 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 "au courant"?
Borrowed from French au courant (literally “to the current”). 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