Atem

\ˈaː.təm\

/\ˈaː.təm\/ noun

The verdict

“Atem” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
4
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Haleine, respiration, souffle.

Corpus desk

Index FR-atem · Atem · French

Atem · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "A" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for Atem
PropertyValue
HeadwordAtem
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ˈaː.təm\
Letters4
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Longue queue: rang de « Atem » en français

Atemreste hors des 100.000 mots français les plus fréquents, dans la longue queue du vocabulaire technique, archaïque ou rare, là où le doute d'orthographe frappe.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Atem is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed \ˈaː.təm\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Haleine, respiration, souffle.".

Zero misspellings are on record for Atem in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable French patterns. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct French form is Atem, spelled A-T-E-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    Haleine, respiration, souffle.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how Atem appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Mit schnellen Schritten durchquere ich das Erdgeschoss meines Hauses, nehme die Stufen zum Obergeschoss, schlittere den Flur entlang, komme völlig außer Atem in meinem Schlafzimmer an.
  2. Der Sturz war heftig. Wir glaubten zuerst, er habe etwas gebrochen, doch fing er nach kurzem an, nach Atem zu ringen.

Synonyms

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Atem"?
"Atem" is spelled A-T-E-M. The IPA pronunciation is \ˈaː.təm\.
What does "Atem" mean?
As a noun, "Atem" means: Haleine, respiration, souffle.
How do you pronounce "Atem"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Atem" is \ˈaː.təm\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Atem" come from?
"Atem" 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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list