apparatchik

\a.pa.ʁa.tʃik\

/\a.pa.ʁa.tʃik\/ noun

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

The verdict

“apparatchik” is uncommon French (frequency #80,869 among 424,905 “A” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#80,869
frequency rank, French
424,905
“A” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Dignitaire du parti communiste soviétique en Russie ou ailleurs.

Key facts for apparatchik
PropertyValue
Headwordapparatchik
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\a.pa.ʁa.tʃik\
Letters11
Frequency rank#80,869
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “apparatchik” 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). apparatchik lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

apparatchik is uncommon French at frequency #80,869 among 424,905 “A” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed \a.pa.ʁa.tʃik\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for apparatchik, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is apparatchik, spelled A-P-P-A-R-A-T-C-H-I-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    Dignitaire du parti communiste soviétique en Russie ou ailleurs.
  2. 2
    Dignitaire, cadre, d'une bureaucratie administrative, d'un parti politique.

This word in other languages

apparatchik(English)

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 "apparatchik"?
"apparatchik" is spelled A-P-P-A-R-A-T-C-H-I-K. The IPA pronunciation is \a.pa.ʁa.tʃik\.
What does "apparatchik" mean?
As a noun, "apparatchik" means: Dignitaire du parti communiste soviétique en Russie ou ailleurs.
How do you pronounce "apparatchik"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "apparatchik" is \a.pa.ʁa.tʃik\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "apparatchik" come from?
"apparatchik" 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 “apparatchik”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is A-P-P-A-R-A-T-C-H-I-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \a.pa.ʁa.tʃik\ (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

Other uncommon French words near this rank

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