calque

\kalk\

/\kalk\/ noun

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

The verdict

“calque” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #32,328 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#32,328
frequency rank, French
6
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Reproduction obtenue en calquant.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

calque vs coque
67% similar
calque vs chaque
67% similar
calque vs cirque
67% similar

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

Key facts for calque
PropertyValue
Headwordcalque
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\kalk\
Letters6
Frequency rank#32,328
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “calque” 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). calque 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 calque is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \kalk\. Corpus data places it at rank #32,328 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 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 calque, with forms such as "aclque", "callque", and "calqeu". 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, "coque", "chaque", "cirque", 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 calque, spelled C-A-L-Q-U-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Reproduction obtenue en calquant.
  2. 2
    Feuille de papier translucide servant à la reproduction d’un dessin par superposition.
  3. 3
    Équivalent d'une feuille de papier translucide en dessin traditionnel, permettant de réaliser un dessin numérique par superposition de plusieurs images.
  4. 4
    Toute production de l’esprit qui n’est que l’imitation servile d’une autre.
  5. 5
    Emprunt lexical dont les constituants ont été traduits littéralement, en imitant le mot d’origine sans l’emprunter tel quel.
  6. 6
    Image satellitaire destinée à être superposée à d’autres représentant la même scène à la même échelle pour obtenir une image composite appelé superposat.

This word in other languages

tracing(English)calco(Español)Pause(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: aclque,callque,calqeu,calqque,caluqe,caqlue,ccalque

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of calque - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

aclque2callque1calqeu2calqque1caluqe2caqlue2ccalque1
Edit distance from "calque"

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 "calque"?
"calque" is spelled C-A-L-Q-U-E. The IPA pronunciation is \kalk\.
What does "calque" mean?
As a noun, "calque" means: Reproduction obtenue en calquant.
What words are commonly confused with "calque"?
"calque" is commonly confused with "coque", "chaque", "cirque". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "calque"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "calque" is \kalk\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "calque" come from?
"calque" 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 “calque”

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

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