c’est

\s‿ɛ\

/\s‿ɛ\/ verb

The verdict

“c’est” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
5
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Introduit une définition ou une redéfinition du mot précédent.

Corpus desk

Index FR-c-est · c’est · French

c’est · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "C" 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 c’est
PropertyValue
Headwordc’est
LanguageFrench
Part of speechVerb
IPA\s‿ɛ\
Letters5
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “c’est” sits in French frequency

c’est falls outside the top-100,000 ranked French words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

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

Rare enough to double-check

c’est is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed \s‿ɛ\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for c’est, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is c’est, spelled C-’-E-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Introduit une définition ou une redéfinition du mot précédent.
  2. 2
    (C’est … ; c’est … qui … ; c’est … que …) Introduit un focus, la nouvelle information la plus importante.
  3. 3
    (C’est … qui …) Introduit une nouvelle information sans relation thème-rhème.
  4. 4
    Ce sont.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Le temps, c’est de l’argent.
  2. La Révolution, c’est la France sublimée.

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "c’est"?
"c’est" is spelled C-’-E-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is \s‿ɛ\.
What does "c’est" mean?
As a verb, "c’est" means: Introduit une définition ou une redéfinition du mot précédent.
How do you pronounce "c’est"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "c’est" is \s‿ɛ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "c’est" come from?
"c’est" 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.
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