verlan

/vɛə(ɹ)ˈlɑːn/

//vɛə(ɹ)ˈlɑːn// noun

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

The verdict

“verlan” 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) - A type of backslang used in French, in which the order of the syllables or sounds of words is changed.

Corpus desk

Index EN-verlan · verlan · English

verlan · 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 "V" 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 verlan
PropertyValue
Headwordverlan
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/vɛə(ɹ)ˈlɑːn/
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “verlan” in English

verlanranks 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

verlan is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /vɛə(ɹ)ˈlɑːn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "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

  1. 1
    A 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

How do you spell "verlan"?
"verlan" is spelled V-E-R-L-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is /vɛə(ɹ)ˈlɑːn/.
What does "verlan" mean?
As a noun, "verlan" means: A type of backslang used in French, in which the order of the syllables or sounds of words is changed.
How do you pronounce "verlan"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "verlan" is /vɛə(ɹ)ˈlɑːn/. 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 "verlan"?
From French verlan, itself a verlan of à l'envers (“upside down or back to front”). 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