verlan
/vɛə(ɹ)ˈlɑːn/
"verlan" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“verlan” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 6
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A type of backslang used in French, in which the order of the syllables or sounds of words is changed.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | verlan |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /vɛə(ɹ)ˈlɑːn/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “verlan” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for verlan is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /vɛə(ɹ)ˈlɑːn/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "A type of backslang used in French, in which the order of the syllables or sounds of words is changed.".
The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for verlan, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our dataset records no confusable match here, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: From French verlan, itself a verlan of à l'envers (“upside down or back to front”). The correct English form is verlan, spelled V-E-R-L-A-N.
Definition
- 1A type of backslang used in French, in which the order of the syllables or sounds of words is changed.
Etymology
From French verlan, itself a verlan of à l'envers (“upside down or back to front”).
This word in other languages
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
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Using “verlan”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is V-E-R-L-A-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /vɛə(ɹ)ˈlɑːn/ (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
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.