aigu

\e.ɡy\

/\e.ɡy\/ adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“aigu” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #14,595 in French word frequency and used as an adjective.

#14,595
frequency rank, French
4
letters
4
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Qui a un aspect pointu, tranchant, voire déchirant.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

aigu vs au
50% similar
aigu vs air
50% similar
aigu vs ait
50% similar

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

Key facts for aigu
PropertyValue
Headwordaigu
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdjective
IPA\e.ɡy\
Letters4
Frequency rank#14,595
Misspellings tracked4
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “aigu” 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). aigu 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 aigu is 4 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \e.ɡy\. Corpus data places it at rank #14,595 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 4 likely wrong-spelling variants for aigu, with forms such as "agiu", "aiggu", and "aiug". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "au", "air", "ait", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct French form is aigu, spelled A-I-G-U.

Definition

  1. 1
    Qui a un aspect pointu, tranchant, voire déchirant.
  2. 2
    Qui se présente de manière soudaine et forte.
  3. 3
    Qui possède un son élevé et perçant.
  4. 4
    Sons qui avoisinent la limite extrême et élevée de l’échelle musicale.
  5. 5
    Se dit d’un angle dont la mesure n’excède pas 90°.
  6. 6
    Dont l’évolution est rapide et qui se termine en peu de temps par la mort ou la guérison.
  7. 7
    Qui est perçant, pénétrant.
  8. 8
    Se dit de feuilles qui se terminent en pointe.

Synonyms

acutpointu

Antonyms

épaislentgraveobtuschronique

This word in other languages

sharp(English)agudo(Español)schrill(Deutsch)estridente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: agiu,aiggu,aiug,iagu

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of aigu - 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.

agiu2aiggu1aiug2iagu2
Edit distance from "aigu"

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 "aigu"?
"aigu" is spelled A-I-G-U. The IPA pronunciation is \e.ɡy\.
What does "aigu" mean?
As an adjective, "aigu" means: Qui a un aspect pointu, tranchant, voire déchirant.
What words are commonly confused with "aigu"?
"aigu" is commonly confused with "au", "air", "ait". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "aigu"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "aigu" is \e.ɡy\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "aigu" come from?
"aigu" 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 “aigu”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is A-I-G-U - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \e.ɡy\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “au” - see the side-by-side comparison. aigu vs au
  • 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