broch

\ˈbɹɒx\

/\ˈbɹɒx\/ noun

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

The verdict

“broch” is uncommon French (frequency #64,986 among 227,490 “B” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#64,986
frequency rank, French
227,490
“B” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Type de tour en pierre de l'âge du fer avec des murs creux à double épaisseur, présent notamment aux Orcades, aux Shetland, dans les Hébrides et dans certaines parties de l'Écosse continentale.

Key facts for broch
PropertyValue
Headwordbroch
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ˈbɹɒx\
Letters5
Frequency rank#64,986
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “broch” 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). broch lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

broch is uncommon French at frequency #64,986 among 227,490 “B” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed \ˈbɹɒx\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Type de tour en pierre de l'âge du fer avec des murs creux à double épaisseur, présent notamment aux Orcades, aux Shetland, dans les Hébrides et dans certaines parties de l'Écosse continentale.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for broch, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable French rules. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

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 broch, spelled B-R-O-C-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    Type de tour en pierre de l'âge du fer avec des murs creux à double épaisseur, présent notamment aux Orcades, aux Shetland, dans les Hébrides et dans certaines parties de l'Écosse continentale.

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 "broch"?
"broch" is spelled B-R-O-C-H. The IPA pronunciation is \ˈbɹɒx\.
What does "broch" mean?
As a noun, "broch" means: Type de tour en pierre de l'âge du fer avec des murs creux à double épaisseur, présent notamment aux Orcades, aux Shetland, dans les Hébrides et dans certaines parties de l'Écosse continentale.
How do you pronounce "broch"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "broch" is \ˈbɹɒx\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "broch" come from?
"broch" 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 “broch”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is B-R-O-C-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ˈbɹɒx\ (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

Other uncommon French words near this rank

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