bout

\bu\

/\bu\/ noun

The verdict

“bout” is in the everyday core of French, ranked #609 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#609
frequency rank, French
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Partie extrême d’une chose.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

bout vs bu
50% similar
bout vs BT
0% similar
bout vs but
75% similar

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

Key facts for bout
PropertyValue
Headwordbout
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\bu\
Letters4
Frequency rank#609
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “bout” 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). bout 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 bout is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \bu\. Corpus data places it at rank #609 in overall French word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for bout, with forms such as "bbout", "botu", and "boutt". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "bu", "BT", "but", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct French form is bout, spelled B-O-U-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Partie extrême d’une chose.
  2. 2
    Ce qui garnit l’extrémité de certaines choses.
  3. 3
    Petite partie de certaines choses ; morceau résiduel.
  4. 4
    Fin, terme, d’une chose qui dure dans le temps.
  5. 5
    Carte spéciale dans certains jeux de cartes, comme le tarot
  6. 6
    Avant, proue, du bâtiment.
  7. 7
    Bord le plus court d’une plaque, d’une tôle, d’une planche ; et plus généralement, face étroite d’un objet pris dans sa largeur, par opposition au plat et au chant.

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bbout,botu,boutt,buot,obut

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

bbout1botu2boutt1buot2obut2
Edit distance from "bout"

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 "bout"?
"bout" is spelled B-O-U-T. The IPA pronunciation is \bu\.
What does "bout" mean?
As a noun, "bout" means: Partie extrême d’une chose.
What words are commonly confused with "bout"?
"bout" is commonly confused with "bu", "BT", "but". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "bout"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bout" is \bu\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "bout" come from?
"bout" 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 “bout”

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

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