bagatelle

\ba.ɡa.tɛl\

/\ba.ɡa.tɛl\/ noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“bagatelle” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #29,239 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#29,239
frequency rank, French
9
letters
11
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Chose de peu de prix et peu nécessaire.

Key facts for bagatelle
PropertyValue
Headwordbagatelle
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ba.ɡa.tɛl\
Letters9
Frequency rank#29,239
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “bagatelle” 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). bagatelle 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 bagatelle is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ba.ɡa.tɛl\. Corpus data places it at rank #29,239 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for bagatelle, with forms such as "abgatelle", "baagtelle", and "bagaetlle". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct French form is bagatelle, spelled B-A-G-A-T-E-L-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Chose de peu de prix et peu nécessaire.
  2. 2
    Chose frivole et de peu d’importance.
  3. 3
    Choses qui n’ont pas toute l’importance, toute la gravité qu’on leur suppose.
  4. 4
    Amourette ou acte de faire l’amour.
  5. 5
    Exclamation, pour exprimer le doute, l’incertitude, ou pour marquer le peu de cas que l’on fait d’une menace.
  6. 6
    Meurtre ou assassinat. Expression d’origine sicilienne signifiant la liquidation d’une « taupe » ou d’un « moineau ».
  7. 7
    Composition brève, simple et légère.

Synonyms

affiquetaffûtiaubabiolebricolebrimborioncolifichetoripeaubalivernebêtisebilleveséebricolebroutillecalembredainechimèreconneriecoquecigruefadaisefaribolefichaisefoutaisefrivolitéfutilitéineptiesornettesottisevétilledéduit

This word in other languages

bagatelle(English)bagatela(Español)Bagatelle(Deutsch)bagatela(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: abgatelle,baagtelle,bagaetlle,bagatele,bagatelel,bagatlele,bagattelle,baggatelle,bagtaelle,bbagatelle,bgaatelle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of bagatelle - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

abgatelle2baagtelle2bagaetlle2bagatele1bagatelel2bagatlele2bagattelle1baggatelle1
Edit distance from "bagatelle"

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 "bagatelle"?
"bagatelle" is spelled B-A-G-A-T-E-L-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is \ba.ɡa.tɛl\.
What does "bagatelle" mean?
As a noun, "bagatelle" means: Chose de peu de prix et peu nécessaire.
What are common misspellings of "bagatelle"?
Common misspellings include "abgatelle", "baagtelle", "bagaetlle", "bagatele", "bagatelel". The correct spelling is "bagatelle".
How do you pronounce "bagatelle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bagatelle" is \ba.ɡa.tɛl\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "bagatelle" come from?
"bagatelle" 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 “bagatelle”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is B-A-G-A-T-E-L-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ba.ɡa.tɛl\ (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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list