câble

\kabl\

/\kabl\/ noun

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

The verdict

“câble” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #4,849 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#4,849
frequency rank, French
5
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Gros cordage formé de l’assemblage de plusieurs torons de chanvre, d’aloès, d’acier, etc.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

câble vs clé
40% similar
câble vs cal
40% similar
câble vs cae
40% similar

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

Key facts for câble
PropertyValue
Headwordcâble
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\kabl\
Letters5
Frequency rank#4,849
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “câble” 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). câble 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 câble is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \kabl\. Corpus data places it at rank #4,849 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for câble, with forms such as "cable", "cbâle", and "ccâble". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "clé", "cal", "cae", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct French form is câble, spelled C-Â-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Gros cordage formé de l’assemblage de plusieurs torons de chanvre, d’aloès, d’acier, etc.
  2. 2
    Moulure en forme de gros cordage.
  3. 3
    Cordon qui sert principalement à attacher les tableaux et à relever les tentures.
  4. 4
    Groupe de conducteurs électriques réunis sous une même enveloppe.
  5. 5
    Abréviation de câblogramme, message transmis par câble télégraphique ou télégramme.
  6. 6
    Technique permettant de diffuser des chaînes de télévision et de fournir un accès à l′internet, sans ondes hertziennes sur un réseau spécifique.
  7. 7
    Ancienne mesure de 120 brasses.
  8. 8
    Moulure décorative imitant une grosse corde. On dit aussi moulure câblée.

This word in other languages

cable(English)cable(Español)Kabel(Deutsch)cabo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cable,cbâle,ccâble,câbble,câbel,câblle,câlbe,âcble

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cable1cbâle2ccâble1câbble1câbel2câblle1câlbe2âcble2
Edit distance from "câble"

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 "câble"?
"câble" is spelled C-Â-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is \kabl\.
What does "câble" mean?
As a noun, "câble" means: Gros cordage formé de l’assemblage de plusieurs torons de chanvre, d’aloès, d’acier, etc.
What words are commonly confused with "câble"?
"câble" is commonly confused with "clé", "cal", "cae". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "câble"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "câble" is \kabl\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "câble" come from?
"câble" 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 “câble”

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

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