buffet
\by.fɛ\
The verdict
“buffet” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #11,356 in French word frequency and used as a noun.
- #11,356
- frequency rank, French
- 6
- letters
- 7
- tracked misspellings
- 12
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Meuble massif composé de tiroirs, placards et étagères, qui sert à entreposer l’argenterie, la vaisselle ou le linge de table.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | buffet |
| Language | French |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | \by.fɛ\ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Frequency rank | #11,356 |
| Misspellings tracked | 7 |
| Confusable pairs | 12 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “buffet” sits in French frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The French entry for buffet is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \by.fɛ\. Corpus data places it at rank #11,356 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for buffet, with forms such as "bbuffet", "bfufet", and "bufeft". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 12 confusable-pair relationships, "Buffon", "buffle", "bullet", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.
No documented word history exists for this headword, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct French form is buffet, spelled B-U-F-F-E-T.
Definition
- 1Meuble massif composé de tiroirs, placards et étagères, qui sert à entreposer l’argenterie, la vaisselle ou le linge de table.
- 2Table où sont proposés des plats en libre-service.
- 3Réception où les convives se servent eux-mêmes.
- 4Ensemble d'idées ou de concepts hétéroclites parmi lesquels tout intéressé pourra choisir.
- 5Snack, bar restaurant installé dans les gares de chemins de fer où les voyageurs trouvent soit un repas préparé, soit des provisions à emporter.
- 6Menuiserie où sont renfermées les orgues ou un jeu d’orgue en particulier. Ou petit orgue tout entier.
- 7Table de pierre ou de marbre qui supporte plusieurs bassins en gradins où l’eau descend en nappes, en cascades, etc.
- 8Ventre, torse.
Synonyms
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: bbuffet,bfufet,bufeft,bufet,buffett,buffte,ubffet
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of buffet - 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.
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 "buffet"?
What does "buffet" mean?
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Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “buffet”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct French spelling is B-U-F-F-E-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as \by.fɛ\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “Buffon” - see the side-by-side comparison. buffet vs Buffon
- 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.