backslash

\bak.slaʃ\

/\bak.slaʃ\/ noun

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency French
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Barre oblique inverse, contre-oblique, controblique.

Corpus desk

Index FR-backslash · backslash · French

backslash · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "B" 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 backslash
PropertyValue
Headwordbackslash
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\bak.slaʃ\
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Longue queue: rang de « backslash » en français

backslashn'entre pas dans le top 100.000 du français: zone de termes techniques, archaïques ou rares.

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

Rare enough to double-check

backslash is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed \bak.slaʃ\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Barre oblique inverse, contre-oblique, controblique.".

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for backslash, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct French form is backslash, spelled B-A-C-K-S-L-A-S-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    Barre oblique inverse, contre-oblique, controblique.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Les séquences d’échappement (débutant par un backslash) […] sont remplacées dans la chaîne par les octets qu’elles représentent (par exemple, ’\n’ est remplacé par la valeur octale 012).

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 "backslash"?
"backslash" is spelled B-A-C-K-S-L-A-S-H. The IPA pronunciation is \bak.slaʃ\.
What does "backslash" mean?
As a noun, "backslash" means: Barre oblique inverse, contre-oblique, controblique.
How do you pronounce "backslash"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "backslash" is \bak.slaʃ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "backslash" come from?
"backslash" 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