coulisse

/kuːˈliːs/

//kuːˈliːs// noun

"coulisse" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A piece of timber having a groove in which something glides.

Corpus desk

Index EN-coulisse · coulisse · English

coulisse · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "C" 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 coulisse
PropertyValue
Headwordcoulisse
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kuːˈliːs/
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “coulisse” in English

coulissefalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

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

Rare enough to double-check

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

coulisse doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. 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: Borrowed from French coulisse. The correct English form is coulisse, spelled C-O-U-L-I-S-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A piece of timber having a groove in which something glides.
  2. 2
    A fluting in a sword blade.
  3. 3
    A side scene of the stage in a theater or the space between the side scenes.

Etymology

Borrowed from French coulisse.

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 "coulisse"?
"coulisse" is spelled C-O-U-L-I-S-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /kuːˈliːs/.
What does "coulisse" mean?
As a noun, "coulisse" means: A piece of timber having a groove in which something glides.
How do you pronounce "coulisse"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "coulisse" is /kuːˈliːs/. 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 "coulisse"?
Borrowed from French coulisse. 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