perdu
/pəːˈdjuː/
"perdu" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“perdu” is uncommon English (frequency #91,914 among 46,516 “P” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- #91,914
- frequency rank, English
- 46,516
- “P” headwords
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Stationed in an exposed or hazardous position; hidden in ambush. Originally as sentinel perdu.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | perdu |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /pəːˈdjuː/ |
| Letters | 5 |
| Frequency rank | #91,914 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “perdu” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
perdu is uncommon English at frequency #91,914 among 46,516 “P” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /pəːˈdjuː/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.
Zero misspellings are on record for perdu in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French perdu, originally after sentinelle perdue. The correct English form is perdu, spelled P-E-R-D-U.
Definition
- 1Stationed in an exposed or hazardous position; hidden in ambush. Originally as sentinel perdu.
- 2In a dangerous situation; lost, desperate.
- 3Hidden; concealed from sight. Chiefly with lie.
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French perdu, originally after sentinelle perdue.
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
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Using “perdu”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is P-E-R-D-U - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /pəːˈdjuː/ (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.