ache

\aʃ\

/\aʃ\/ noun

The verdict

“ache” is an uncommon French word, ranked #63,490 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#63,490
frequency rank, French
4
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Nom usuel des trois variétés dApium graveolens, plantes qui ressemblent au persil, de la famille Apiaceae (Apiacées) dont on consomme les tiges sous le nom de céleri (Apium graveolens var. dulce), ...

Key facts for ache
PropertyValue
Headwordache
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\aʃ\
Letters4
Frequency rank#63,490
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ache” 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). ache 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 ache is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \aʃ\. Corpus data places it at rank #63,490 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No generated misspelling entries exist for ache in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable French patterns. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct French form is ache, spelled A-C-H-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Nom usuel des trois variétés dApium graveolens, plantes qui ressemblent au persil, de la famille Apiaceae (Apiacées) dont on consomme les tiges sous le nom de céleri (Apium graveolens var. dulce), les feuilles sous le nom de céleri chinois (Apium graveolens var. secalinum) et sa tige tubérisée sous le nom de céleri-rave (Apium graveolens L. var. rapaceum)
  2. 2
    Nom donné à de nombreuses plantes de divers genres, toutes de la famille des Apiaceae, mais à chaque fois ache est accompagné d'un épithète. (voir la liste "dérivés")
  3. 3
    Fleuron ornant les couronnes ducales.

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); 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 "ache"?
"ache" is spelled A-C-H-E. The IPA pronunciation is \aʃ\.
What does "ache" mean?
As a noun, "ache" means: Nom usuel des trois variétés dApium graveolens, plantes qui ressemblent au persil, de la famille Apiaceae (Apiacées) dont on consomme les tiges sous le nom de céleri (Apium graveolens var. dulce), ...
How do you pronounce "ache"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ache" is \aʃ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "ache" come from?
"ache" 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 “ache”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is A-C-H-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \aʃ\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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