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 31,241 “B” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#53,403
frequency rank, English
31,241
“B” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A jewel.

Key facts for bijou
PropertyValue
Headwordbijou
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/biˈʒuː/
Letters5
Frequency rank#53,403
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “bijou” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

bijou is uncommon English at frequency #53,403 among 31,241 “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.

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.

Using “bijou”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is B-I-J-O-U - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /biˈʒuː/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list