bijou

/biˈʒuː/

//biˈʒuː// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

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

The verdict

“bijou” is uncommon English (frequency #53,403 among 4,121 “B” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#53,403
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A jewel.

Corpus desk

Index EN-bijou · bijou · English

bijou · rank #53,403 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #53,403
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH Bhaskar

Nearest frequency peer: Bhaskar (-1 rank slots)

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.

Long-tail ranks near “bijou”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “bijou” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for bijou
PropertyValue
Headwordbijou
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/biˈʒuː/
Letters5
Frequency rank#53,403
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “bijou” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).bijoufalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “Bhaskar” (#53,402), “biota” (#53,404), “biryani” (#53,405). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “bijou” is #53,403. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

bijou is uncommon English at frequency #53,403 among 4,121 “B” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /biˈʒuː/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for bijou, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French bijou. The correct English form is bijou, spelled B-I-J-O-U.

Definition

  1. 1
    A jewel.
  2. 2
    A piece of jewelry; a trinket.
  3. 3
    A small intricate piece of metalwork.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. […]a saucepan on the hob, and a brazen bijou over the fireplace designed for the suspension of a roasting-jack.

Etymology

Borrowed from French bijou.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "bijou"?
"bijou" is spelled B-I-J-O-U. The IPA pronunciation is /biˈʒuː/.
What does "bijou" mean?
As a noun, "bijou" means: A jewel.
How do you pronounce "bijou"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bijou" is /biˈʒuː/. 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 "bijou"?
Borrowed from French bijou. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "bijou", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

biota#53,404Bolin#53,410canna#53,425Chaco#53,432

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list