bonne-maman

\bɔn.ma.mɑ̃\

/\bɔn.ma.mɑ̃\/ noun

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency French
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Appellation affectueuse pour la grand-mère.

Corpus desk

Index FR-bonne-maman · bonne-maman · French

bonne-maman · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-4 4 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 bonne-maman
PropertyValue
Headwordbonne-maman
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\bɔn.ma.mɑ̃\
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Longue queue: rang de « bonne-maman » en français

bonne-mamanreste hors des 100.000 mots français les plus fréquents, dans la longue queue du vocabulaire technique, archaïque ou rare, là où le doute d'orthographe frappe.

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

Rare enough to double-check

bonne-maman is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed \bɔn.ma.mɑ̃\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Appellation affectueuse pour la grand-mère.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for bonne-maman, a sign its spelling follows regular French conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct French form is bonne-maman, spelled B-O-N-N-E---M-A-M-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Appellation affectueuse pour la grand-mère.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Je touchais par ma grand-mère maternelle à un monde de bourgeoisie beaucoup plus rangée. Ma bonne maman, comme je l’appelais, était un fort aimable modèle de la bourgeoisie d’autrefois.
  2. Après tout, bonne-maman n’était pas morte, on avait peut-être exagéré ; elle avait déjà reçu l’extrême-onction, trois fois…

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 "bonne-maman"?
"bonne-maman" is spelled B-O-N-N-E---M-A-M-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is \bɔn.ma.mɑ̃\.
What does "bonne-maman" mean?
As a noun, "bonne-maman" means: Appellation affectueuse pour la grand-mère.
How do you pronounce "bonne-maman"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bonne-maman" is \bɔn.ma.mɑ̃\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "bonne-maman" come from?
"bonne-maman" 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