vis-à-vis
/viːz.ɑːˈviː/
"vis-a-vis" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“vis-à-vis” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a preposition. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 9
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - In relation to; compared with.
Corpus desk
Index EN-vis-a-vis · vis-à-vis · English
vis-à-vis · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 9 letters
- VOW-3 3 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.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | vis-à-vis |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Preposition |
| IPA | /viːz.ɑːˈviː/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “vis-à-vis” in English
Rare enough to double-check
vis-à-vis is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as apreposition, transcribed /viːz.ɑːˈviː/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
Zero misspellings are on record for vis-à-vis in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: Unadapted borrowing from French vis-à-vis. The correct English form is vis-à-vis, spelled V-I-S---À---V-I-S.
Definition
- 1In relation to; compared with.
- 2Opposite; across from; set so as to be facing.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how vis-à-vis appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
Canada's role vis-à-vis the United States' in Afghanistan
Bet She'an, Bet Guvrin and Kefar Zemah were originally considered part of Eretz Yisrael vis-à-vis tithing, but Rabbi Judah the Prince excluded them from Eretz Yisrael when the Jewish population shrank.
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from French vis-à-vis.
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.