coulee

/ˈkuːli/

//ˈkuːli// noun

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

"coulee" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“coulee” is uncommon English (frequency #62,802 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#62,802
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A stream, especially one in the western US or Canada, generally smaller than a bayou; it may (or may not) run dry in summer, may be sluggish, shallow, and wide (forming in effect a pond or slough),...

Corpus desk

Index EN-coulee · coulee · English

coulee · rank #62,802 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #62,802
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH Cornyn

Nearest frequency peer: Cornyn (-3 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 “coulee”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for coulee
PropertyValue
Headwordcoulee
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkuːli/
Letters6
Frequency rank#62,802
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “coulee” 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).couleefalls 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: “Cornyn” (#62,799), “Cowdenbeath” (#62,805), “cornel” (#62,798). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “coulee” is #62,802. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

coulee is uncommon English at frequency #62,802 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkuːli/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

coulee doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French coulée (“flow”), from couler (“to flow”). The correct English form is coulee, spelled C-O-U-L-E-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A stream, especially one in the western US or Canada, generally smaller than a bayou; it may (or may not) run dry in summer, may be sluggish, shallow, and wide (forming in effect a pond or slough), or may have cut a deep gulch or ravine.
  2. 2
    A reach of water in a bayou that is like a slough but deeper.
  3. 3
    A lava flow (whether molten or solidified).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. […] Mauvaise Coulee enters Devils Lake from the north, but it cannot be said to drain the lakes with which it is connected. It is itself a long-drawn-out slough or pool which is broader at those places where it spreads out into lakes. […] the head streams or coulees of the Park, the Forest and the Turtle, have all cut deep channels down through the drift…
  2. The small streams and coulees which flow into the Mississippi River in the area are firmly entrenched by the natural topography, and little lateral migration is possible.

Etymology

From French coulée (“flow”), from couler (“to flow”).

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 "coulee"?
"coulee" is spelled C-O-U-L-E-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkuːli/.
What does "coulee" mean?
As a noun, "coulee" means: A stream, especially one in the western US or Canada, generally smaller than a bayou; it may (or may not) run dry in summer, may be sluggish, shallow, and wide (forming in effect a pond or slough),...
How do you pronounce "coulee"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "coulee" is /ˈkuːli/. 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 "coulee"?
From French coulée (“flow”), from couler (“to flow”). 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 "coulee", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Cornyn#62,799cornel#62,798creaky#62,808concha#62,791

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list