bon vivant

\bɔ̃ vi.vɑ̃\

/\bɔ̃ vi.vɑ̃\/ noun

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

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency French
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Homme d’humeur joviale qui apprécie les plaisirs de la vie, notamment les plaisirs de la table.

Key facts for bon vivant
PropertyValue
Headwordbon vivant
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\bɔ̃ vi.vɑ̃\
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “bon vivant” sits in French frequency

bon vivant falls outside the top-100,000 ranked French words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

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

Rare enough to double-check

bon vivant is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed \bɔ̃ vi.vɑ̃\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Homme d’humeur joviale qui apprécie les plaisirs de la vie, notamment les plaisirs de la table.".

No misspelling variants are generated for bon vivant in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is bon vivant, spelled B-O-N- -V-I-V-A-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Homme d’humeur joviale qui apprécie les plaisirs de la vie, notamment les plaisirs de la table.

Synonyms

viveurbon viveurépicuriengourmethédonistesybarite

This word in other languages

bon vivant(English)bon vivant(Español)Bonvivant(Deutsch)folgazão(Português)

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 "bon vivant"?
"bon vivant" is spelled B-O-N- -V-I-V-A-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is \bɔ̃ vi.vɑ̃\.
What does "bon vivant" mean?
As a noun, "bon vivant" means: Homme d’humeur joviale qui apprécie les plaisirs de la vie, notamment les plaisirs de la table.
How do you pronounce "bon vivant"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bon vivant" is \bɔ̃ vi.vɑ̃\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "bon vivant" come from?
"bon vivant" 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 “bon vivant”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is B-O-N- -V-I-V-A-N-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \bɔ̃ vi.vɑ̃\ (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