parfum

/pɑɹˈfum/

//pɑɹˈfum// noun

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

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

The verdict

“parfum” is uncommon English (frequency #66,916 among 46,516 “P” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#66,916
frequency rank, English
46,516
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Fragrance; perfume.

Key facts for parfum
PropertyValue
Headwordparfum
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/pɑɹˈfum/
Letters6
Frequency rank#66,916
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “parfum” 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). parfum 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

parfum is uncommon English at frequency #66,916 among 46,516 “P” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /pɑɹˈfum/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

parfum has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French parfum. Doublet of perfume. The correct English form is parfum, spelled P-A-R-F-U-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    Fragrance; perfume.
  2. 2
    A solvent containing around 15% to 40% aromatic compounds.

Etymology

Borrowed from French parfum. Doublet of perfume.

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 "parfum"?
"parfum" is spelled P-A-R-F-U-M. The IPA pronunciation is /pɑɹˈfum/.
What does "parfum" mean?
As a noun, "parfum" means: Fragrance; perfume.
How do you pronounce "parfum"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "parfum" is /pɑɹˈfum/. 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 "parfum"?
Borrowed from French parfum. Doublet of perfume. 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 “parfum”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-A-R-F-U-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /pɑɹˈfum/ (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