abstract

\abs.tʁakt\

/\abs.tʁakt\/ noun

The verdict

“abstract” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #42,712 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#42,712
frequency rank, French
8
letters
13
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Analyse succincte d’un ouvrage.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

abstract vs abstrait
88% similar
abstract vs abstraite
78% similar
abstract vs abstraits
78% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for abstract
PropertyValue
Headwordabstract
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\abs.tʁakt\
Letters8
Frequency rank#42,712
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “abstract” sits in French frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). abstract lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The French entry for abstract is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \abs.tʁakt\. Corpus data places it at rank #42,712 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Analyse succincte d’un ouvrage.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for abstract, with forms such as "abbstract", "absrtact", and "absstract". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "abstrait", "abstraite", "abstraits", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct French form is abstract, spelled A-B-S-T-R-A-C-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Analyse succincte d’un ouvrage.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: abbstract,absrtact,absstract,abstarct,abstracct,abstractt,abstratc,abstrcat,abstrract,absttract,abtsract,asbtract,bastract

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of abstract - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

abbstract1absrtact2absstract1abstarct2abstracct1abstractt1abstratc2abstrcat2
Edit distance from "abstract"

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 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "abstract"?
"abstract" is spelled A-B-S-T-R-A-C-T. The IPA pronunciation is \abs.tʁakt\.
What does "abstract" mean?
As a noun, "abstract" means: Analyse succincte d’un ouvrage.
What words are commonly confused with "abstract"?
"abstract" is commonly confused with "abstrait", "abstraite", "abstraits". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "abstract"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "abstract" is \abs.tʁakt\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "abstract" come from?
"abstract" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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.

Using “abstract”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct French spelling is A-B-S-T-R-A-C-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \abs.tʁakt\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “abstrait” - see the side-by-side comparison. abstract vs abstrait
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French 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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list