blanc

\blɑ̃\

/\blɑ̃\/ adj

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

The verdict

“blanc” is in the everyday core of French, ranked #596 in French word frequency and used as an adjective.

#596
frequency rank, French
5
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - D’une couleur comme celle des os, de la craie ou de l’écume entre autre.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

blanc vs bloc
60% similar
blanc vs bran
60% similar
blanc vs blas
60% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for blanc
PropertyValue
Headwordblanc
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdjective
IPA\blɑ̃\
Letters5
Frequency rank#596
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “blanc” 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). blanc 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 blanc is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \blɑ̃\. Corpus data places it at rank #596 in overall French word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 18 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for blanc, with forms such as "balnc", "bblanc", and "blacn". 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, "bloc", "bran", "blas", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is blanc, spelled B-L-A-N-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    D’une couleur comme celle des os, de la craie ou de l’écume entre autre.
  2. 2
    D’une couleur appartenant au champ chromatique du blanc, c’est-à-dire légèrement différente de la couleur originelle mais lié à celle-ci. #FFFFFF #FFFFD4 #FDE9E0 #FDE1B8 #F2FFFF #EFEFEF
  3. 3
    Très peu coloré, ou moins coloré que, en parlant de choses qui ne sont pas tout à fait blanches (1), pour les distinguer de celles de même espèce qui le sont moins, ou qui sont d’une autre couleur.
  4. 4
    Qui appartient au groupe social désigné comme les Blancs.
  5. 5
    Qui est allochtone, non amérindienne.
  6. 6
    Vierge, sur lequel il n’y a rien d’écrit ou d’imprimé.
  7. 7
    Vide de contenu.
  8. 8
    À lame d'acier.
  9. 9
    Clair.
  10. 10
    Coup qui ne produit rien.
  11. 11
    Plusieurs termes d'exploitation forestière recourent à des locutions nominales employant l'adjectif blanc telles que
  12. 12
    Plusieurs termes d'exploitation forestière recourent à des locutions nominales employant l'adjectif blanc telles que
  13. 13
    Plusieurs termes d'exploitation forestière recourent à des locutions nominales employant l'adjectif blanc telles que
  14. 14
    Plusieurs termes d'exploitation forestière recourent à des locutions nominales employant l'adjectif blanc telles que
  15. 15
    L'adjectif blanc s'emploie aussi dans des locutions verbales issues du vocabulaire des duels judiciaires du Moyen Âge et parfois utilisées dans le français moderne:
  16. 16
    L'adjectif blanc s'emploie aussi dans des locutions verbales issues du vocabulaire des duels judiciaires du Moyen Âge et parfois utilisées dans le français moderne:
  17. 17
    L'adjectif blanc s'emploie aussi dans des locutions verbales issues du vocabulaire des duels judiciaires du Moyen Âge et parfois utilisées dans le français moderne:
  18. 18
    Qui est propre, par opposition à sale.

Synonyms

caucasiencaucasoïdeeuropoïde

Antonyms

amérindienautochtonerougesauvage

This word in other languages

white(English)blanco(Español)weiß(Deutsch)branco(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: balnc,bblanc,blacn,blancc,blannc,bllanc,blnac,lbanc

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of blanc - 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.

balnc2bblanc1blacn2blancc1blannc1bllanc1blnac2lbanc2
Edit distance from "blanc"

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 "blanc"?
"blanc" is spelled B-L-A-N-C. The IPA pronunciation is \blɑ̃\.
What does "blanc" mean?
As an adjective, "blanc" means: D’une couleur comme celle des os, de la craie ou de l’écume entre autre.
What words are commonly confused with "blanc"?
"blanc" is commonly confused with "bloc", "bran", "blas". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "blanc"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "blanc" is \blɑ̃\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "blanc" come from?
"blanc" 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.

Using “blanc”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is B-L-A-N-C - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \blɑ̃\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “bloc” - see the side-by-side comparison. blanc vs bloc
  • 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