arsenic

\aʁ.sə.nik\

/\aʁ.sə.nik\/ noun

The verdict

“arsenic” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #24,106 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#24,106
frequency rank, French
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Élément chimique de symbole As et de numéro atomique 33.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

arsenic vs Arsène
43% similar
arsenic vs arsenal
71% similar
arsenic vs Arménie
43% similar

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

Key facts for arsenic
PropertyValue
Headwordarsenic
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\aʁ.sə.nik\
Letters7
Frequency rank#24,106
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “arsenic” 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). arsenic 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 arsenic is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \aʁ.sə.nik\. Corpus data places it at rank #24,106 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for arsenic, with forms such as "aresnic", "arrsenic", and "arseinc". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "Arsène", "arsenal", "Arménie", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, 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 arsenic, spelled A-R-S-E-N-I-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    Élément chimique de symbole As et de numéro atomique 33.
  2. 2
    Métalloïde qui a la propriété de se sublimer à 613°C sous forme de vapeur à l’odeur alliacée.
  3. 3
    Atome d’arsenic.
  4. 4
    Acide arsénieux.
  5. 5
    Un des principes alchimiques : « moyen d’union entre le Soufre et le Mercure ».

Synonyms

arsenic grisarsenic métalliquearsenic gammapoudre de succession

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: aresnic,arrsenic,arseinc,arsenci,arsenicc,arsennic,arsneic,arssenic,asrenic,rasenic

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of arsenic - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

aresnic2arrsenic1arseinc2arsenci2arsenicc1arsennic1arsneic2arssenic1
Edit distance from "arsenic"

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 "arsenic"?
"arsenic" is spelled A-R-S-E-N-I-C. The IPA pronunciation is \aʁ.sə.nik\.
What does "arsenic" mean?
As a noun, "arsenic" means: Élément chimique de symbole As et de numéro atomique 33.
What words are commonly confused with "arsenic"?
"arsenic" is commonly confused with "Arsène", "arsenal", "Arménie". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "arsenic"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "arsenic" is \aʁ.sə.nik\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "arsenic" come from?
"arsenic" 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 “arsenic”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is A-R-S-E-N-I-C - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \aʁ.sə.nik\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Arsène” - see the side-by-side comparison. arsenic vs Arsène
  • 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