appui

\a.pɥi\

/\a.pɥi\/ noun

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

The verdict

“appui” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #2,755 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,755
frequency rank, French
5
letters
4
tracked misspellings
19
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Ce qui sert à soutenir une chose ou une personne pour l’empêcher de tomber, de chanceler, etc.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

appui vs apu
60% similar
appui vs appuie
83% similar
appui vs appuyé
67% similar

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

Key facts for appui
PropertyValue
Headwordappui
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\a.pɥi\
Letters5
Frequency rank#2,755
Misspellings tracked4
Confusable pairs19
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “appui” 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). appui 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 appui is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \a.pɥi\. Corpus data places it at rank #2,755 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 13 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 appui, with forms such as "appiu", "apui", and "apupi". 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 19 confusable-pair relationships, "apu", "appuie", "appuyé", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is appui, spelled A-P-P-U-I.

Definition

  1. 1
    Ce qui sert à soutenir une chose ou une personne pour l’empêcher de tomber, de chanceler, etc.
  2. 2
    Ce sur quoi on s’appuie.
  3. 3
    La partie d’une fenêtre, d’une balustrade, etc., sur laquelle on peut s’appuyer.
  4. 4
    Le point d’appui d’un levier; Le point du levier qui est fixe, ou censé tel, et autour duquel s’opère sa rotation.
  5. 5
    Sensation que fait éprouver à la main du cavalier l’action du mors sur les barres du cheval.
  6. 6
    Temps pendant lequel, dans la marche, le pied du cheval pose sur le sol.
  7. 7
    Élévation plus ou moins sensible de la voix dans le phrasé.
  8. 8
    Aide ; protection.
  9. 9
    Personnes ou choses dont on tire de la protection, du secours.
  10. 10
    L’élévation plus ou moins sensible de la voix sur une syllabe.
  11. 11
    Poteau utilisé comme support de câbles aériens
  12. 12
    Position des pieds.
  13. 13
    Fait d'appuyer

This word in other languages

prop(English)apoyo(Español)Stütze(Deutsch)apoio(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: appiu,apui,apupi,papui

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of appui - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

appiu2apui1apupi2papui2
Edit distance from "appui"

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 "appui"?
"appui" is spelled A-P-P-U-I. The IPA pronunciation is \a.pɥi\.
What does "appui" mean?
As a noun, "appui" means: Ce qui sert à soutenir une chose ou une personne pour l’empêcher de tomber, de chanceler, etc.
What words are commonly confused with "appui"?
"appui" is commonly confused with "apu", "appuie", "appuyé". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "appui"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "appui" is \a.pɥi\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "appui" come from?
"appui" is a French word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “appui”

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

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