Apache

\a.paʃ\

/\a.paʃ\/ name

The verdict

“Apache” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #24,101 in French word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#24,101
frequency rank, French
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Amérindien appartenant à une des nations apaches, habitant le Sud-Ouest des États-Unis, autrefois célèbre par son courage et sa ruse à la guerre.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Apache vs arche
50% similar
Apache vs apaise
50% similar
Apache vs aparté
33% similar

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

Key facts for Apache
PropertyValue
HeadwordApache
LanguageFrench
Part of speechProper noun
IPA\a.paʃ\
Letters6
Frequency rank#24,101
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Apache” 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). Apache 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 Apache is 6 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \a.paʃ\. Corpus data places it at rank #24,101 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Amérindien appartenant à une des nations apaches, habitant le Sud-Ouest des États-Unis, autrefois célèbre par son courage et sa ruse à la guerre.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for Apache, with forms such as "aapche", "apacche", and "apaceh". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 10 confusable-pair relationships, "arche", "apaise", "aparté", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct French form is Apache, spelled A-P-A-C-H-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Amérindien appartenant à une des nations apaches, habitant le Sud-Ouest des États-Unis, autrefois célèbre par son courage et sa ruse à la guerre.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: aapche,apacche,apaceh,apachhe,apahce,apcahe,appache,paache

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aapche2apacche1apaceh2apachhe1apahce2apcahe2appache1paache2
Edit distance from "Apache"

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 "Apache"?
"Apache" is spelled A-P-A-C-H-E. The IPA pronunciation is \a.paʃ\.
What does "Apache" mean?
As a proper noun, "Apache" means: Amérindien appartenant à une des nations apaches, habitant le Sud-Ouest des États-Unis, autrefois célèbre par son courage et sa ruse à la guerre.
What words are commonly confused with "Apache"?
"Apache" is commonly confused with "arche", "apaise", "aparté". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Apache"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Apache" is \a.paʃ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Apache" come from?
"Apache" 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.

Using “Apache”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is A-P-A-C-H-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \a.paʃ\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “arche” - see the side-by-side comparison. Apache vs arche
  • 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