bœuf

/\bœf\/ noun

By · Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org ·

The verdict

“bœuf” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #9,441 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#9,441
frequency rank, French
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

Dominant Wiktionary sense: Taureau castré.

Key facts for bœuf
PropertyValue
Headwordbœuf
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\bœf\
Letters4
Frequency rank#9,441
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “bœuf” 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). bœuf 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 bœuf is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \bœf\. Corpus data places it at rank #9,441 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 16 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for bœuf, with forms such as "bbœuf", "buœf", and "bœfu". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "bu", "BF", "but", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. For readers arriving here from a spelling check, the authoritative guidance is: the correct French form is bœuf, spelled B-Œ-U-F, and any other sequence of those letters, regardless of how natural it feels, is a misspelling in standard orthography.

Definition

  1. 1
    Taureau castré.
  2. 2
    Animal de l'espèce domestiquée Bos taurus.
  3. 3
    Animal du genre Bos, comprenant l'espèce domestiquée Bos taurus, le zébu et l'espèce éteinte auroch.
  4. 4
    Viande de bœuf, de vache ou génisse destinée à l’alimentation humaine.
  5. 5
    Taureau.
  6. 6
    Séance musicale improvisée à laquelle peuvent se joindre différents musiciens, descarga, jam.
  7. 7
    Roi d’un jeu de cartes ^([1]).
  8. 8
    Second ouvrier cordonnier, ouvrier tailleur qui fait les grosses pièces ^([1]).
  9. 9
    Petit bœuf : Ouvrier qui commence une pièce, qui l’ébauche ^([1]).
  10. 10
    Dans le jargon des typographes, mauvaise humeur, emportement, colère. Synonyme de chèvre ^([1]).
  11. 11
    Agent de police. Note d’usage : Surtout au pluriel ; le singulier se prononce \bø\ aussi.
  12. 12
    Homme très corpulent.
  13. 13
    Homme stupide, sans finesse.
  14. 14
    (\bø\) Véhicule lent, sans reprises.
  15. 15
    Jeu de cartes.
  16. 16
    Meuble représentant l’animal du même nom dans les armoiries. Il est généralement présenté passant avec la queue pendante ou entre les pattes contrairement au taureau qui a la queue au-dessus du dos. À rapprocher de bison, buffle, taureau et vache.

Synonyms

bovinbovinéflicpoulet

This word in other languages

ox(English)buey(Español)Ochse(Deutsch)boi(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bbœuf,buœf,bœfu,bœuff,œbuf

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

Edit distance from "bœuf"

bbœuf1buœf2bœfu2bœuff1œbuf2
Edit distance from "bœuf"

Frequency rank: #9,441 in French

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "bœuf"?
"bœuf" is spelled B-Œ-U-F. The IPA pronunciation is \bœf\.
What does "bœuf" mean?
As a noun, "bœuf" means: Taureau castré.
What words are commonly confused with "bœuf"?
"bœuf" is commonly confused with "bu", "BF", "but". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "bœuf"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bœuf" is \bœf\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "bœuf" come from?
"bœuf" is a French word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “bœuf”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is B-Œ-U-F — every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \bœf\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “bu” — see the side-by-side comparison. bœuf vs bu
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words

Nearby French words

Other entries that begin with the letter B in our French index:

All "B" wordsABCDEFGHIJKL

Explore PlainSpell

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Words: B

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Confusable Pairs

Commonly confused words

Spelling Guides

Tips & reference

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.