à l’œil nu

\a l‿œj ny\

/\a l‿œj ny\/ adv

The verdict

“à l’œil nu” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adverb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Sans aide d’un instrument d’optique (loupe, microscope, télescope…).

Corpus desk

Index FR-a-l-il-nu · à l’œil nu · French

à l’œil nu · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "À" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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 à l’œil nu
PropertyValue
Headwordà l’œil nu
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdverb
IPA\a l‿œj ny\
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Longue queue: rang de « à l’œil nu » en français

à l’œil nusiège au-delà des 100.000 formes les plus fréquentes du français, dans la traîne du lexique spécialisé ou peu usité.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

à l’œil nu is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anadverb, transcribed \a l‿œj ny\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for à l’œil nu in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable French rules. 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.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is à l’œil nu, spelled À- -L-’-Œ-I-L- -N-U.

Definition

  1. 1
    Sans aide d’un instrument d’optique (loupe, microscope, télescope…).
  2. 2
    Évident, incontestable.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how à l’œil nu appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Seize jours après l’injection, les ganglions prépectoraux sont encore les seuls où le carmin soit visible à l’œil nu, mais on le retrouve, au microscope, dans les ganglions œsophagiens et bronchiques.
  2. Vous êtes capable de mourir pour une idée : c’est visible à l'œil nu. Eh bien, moi, j’en ai assez des gens qui meurent pour une idée.

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 "à l’œil nu"?
"à l’œil nu" is spelled À- -L-’-Œ-I-L- -N-U. The IPA pronunciation is \a l‿œj ny\.
What does "à l’œil nu" mean?
As an adverb, "à l’œil nu" means: Sans aide d’un instrument d’optique (loupe, microscope, télescope…).
How do you pronounce "à l’œil nu"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "à l’œil nu" is \a l‿œj ny\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "à l’œil nu" come from?
"à l’œil nu" is a French word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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