boussole

\bu.sɔl\

/\bu.sɔl\/ noun

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

The verdict

“boussole” has 9 generated spelling variants in the French index at frequency #19,221. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#19,221
frequency rank, French
227,490
“B” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Cadran au centre duquel est fixée une aiguille qui tourne librement sur son pivot et dont la pointe aimantée se dirige vers le nord.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

boussole vs bouscule
75% similar

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

Key facts for boussole
PropertyValue
Headwordboussole
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\bu.sɔl\
Letters8
Frequency rank#19,221
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “boussole” 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). boussole lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around boussole (IPA \bu.sɔl\), anoun. Corpus frequency is #19,221 among 227,490 “B” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for boussole, with forms such as "bboussole", "bosusole", and "bousole". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "bouscule", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is boussole, spelled B-O-U-S-S-O-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Cadran au centre duquel est fixée une aiguille qui tourne librement sur son pivot et dont la pointe aimantée se dirige vers le nord.
  2. 2
    Guide, conducteur.
  3. 3
    Meuble représentant l’instrument d'orientation du même nom dans les armoiries. L’aiguille est généralement de deux couleurs qui doivent être blasonnées. La position de l’aiguille peut varier. On précise alors dans le blasonnement la direction indiquée par la boussole. À rapprocher de rose des vents.

Synonyms

compas

This word in other languages

compass(English)brújula(Español)Kompass(Deutsch)bússola(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • bboussole
  • bosusole
  • bousole
  • bousosle
  • boussloe
  • boussoel
  • boussolle
  • buossole
  • obussole

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of boussole - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

bboussole1bosusole2bousole1bousosle2boussloe2boussoel2boussolle1buossole2
Edit distance from "boussole"

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 "boussole"?
"boussole" is spelled B-O-U-S-S-O-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is \bu.sɔl\.
What does "boussole" mean?
As a noun, "boussole" means: Cadran au centre duquel est fixée une aiguille qui tourne librement sur son pivot et dont la pointe aimantée se dirige vers le nord.
What words are commonly confused with "boussole"?
"boussole" is commonly confused with "bouscule". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "boussole"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "boussole" is \bu.sɔl\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "boussole" come from?
"boussole" 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 “boussole”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is B-O-U-S-S-O-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \bu.sɔl\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “bouscule” - see the side-by-side comparison. boussole vs bouscule
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words

Same frequency band

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