langue

/ˈlɑŋ(ɡ)/

//ˈlɑŋ(ɡ)// noun

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

The verdict

“langue” is uncommon English (frequency #67,579 among 16,425 “L” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#67,579
frequency rank, English
16,425
“L” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Language as a system rather than language in use, including the formal rules, structures, and limitations of language.

Key facts for langue
PropertyValue
Headwordlangue
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈlɑŋ(ɡ)/
Letters6
Frequency rank#67,579
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “langue” 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). langue 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

langue is uncommon English at frequency #67,579 among 16,425 “L” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈlɑŋ(ɡ)/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Language as a system rather than language in use, including the formal rules, structures, and limitations of language.".

langue doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French langue. Doublet of lingua and tongue. The correct English form is langue, spelled L-A-N-G-U-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Language as a system rather than language in use, including the formal rules, structures, and limitations of language.

Etymology

Borrowed from French langue. Doublet of lingua and tongue.

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 "langue"?
"langue" is spelled L-A-N-G-U-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlɑŋ(ɡ)/.
What does "langue" mean?
As a noun, "langue" means: Language as a system rather than language in use, including the formal rules, structures, and limitations of language.
How do you pronounce "langue"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "langue" is /ˈlɑŋ(ɡ)/. 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 "langue"?
Borrowed from French langue. Doublet of lingua and tongue. 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 “langue”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is L-A-N-G-U-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈlɑŋ(ɡ)/ (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