grippe

/ɡɹɪp/

//ɡɹɪp// noun

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

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency English
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Influenza, the flu.

Corpus desk

Index EN-grippe · grippe · English

grippe · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "G" 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 grippe
PropertyValue
Headwordgrippe
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɡɹɪp/
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “grippe” in English

gripperanks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

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

Rare enough to double-check

grippe is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ɡɹɪp/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Influenza, the flu.".

grippe doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French grippe, from gripper (“to seize, snatch”), from Frankish *grīpan, from Proto-Germanic *grīpaną, from Proto-Indo-European *gʰreyb- (“to grab, to grasp”). Borrowed from French into many languages of the world. More at gripe. The correct English form is grippe, spelled G-R-I-P-P-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Influenza, the flu.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. These other germs are the cause of colds and coughs and grippes.
  2. "Mid-Lent, and the Enemy grins," remarked Selwyn as he started for church with Nina and the children. Austin, knee-deep in a dozen Sunday supplements, refused to stir; poor little Eileen was now convalescent from grippe, but still unsteady on her legs; her maid had taken the grippe, and now moaned all day: "Mon dieu! Mon dieu! Che fais mourir!"

Etymology

Borrowed from French grippe, from gripper (“to seize, snatch”), from Frankish *grīpan, from Proto-Germanic *grīpaną, from Proto-Indo-European *gʰreyb- (“to grab, to grasp”). Borrowed from French into many languages of the world. More at gripe.

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 "grippe"?
"grippe" is spelled G-R-I-P-P-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɡɹɪp/.
What does "grippe" mean?
As a noun, "grippe" means: Influenza, the flu.
How do you pronounce "grippe"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "grippe" is /ɡɹɪp/. 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 "grippe"?
Borrowed from French grippe, from gripper (“to seize, snatch”), from Frankish *grīpan, from Proto-Germanic *grīpaną, from Proto-Indo-European *gʰreyb- (“to grab, to grasp”). Borrowed from French into many languages of the world. More at gripe. 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