au lieu de
\o ljø də\
The verdict
“au lieu de” is outside the top-ranked French vocabulary, used as a preposition - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency French
- 10
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - À la place de.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | au lieu de |
| Language | French |
| Part of speech | Preposition |
| IPA | \o ljø də\ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “au lieu de” sits in French frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The French entry for au lieu de is 10 letters long, classified as a preposition, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \o ljø də\. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for au lieu de, suggesting the orthography follows predictable French patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is au lieu de, spelled A-U- -L-I-E-U- -D-E.
Definition
- 1À la place de.
- 2Marque une opposition, une différence.
Synonyms
This word in other languages
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 "au lieu de"?
What does "au lieu de" mean?
How do you pronounce "au lieu de"?
What language does "au lieu de" come from?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “au lieu de”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct French spelling is A-U- -L-I-E-U- -D-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as \o ljø də\ (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
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.