cantonner

\kɑ̃.tɔ.ne\

/\kɑ̃.tɔ.ne\/ verb

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

The verdict

“cantonner” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #35,415 in French word frequency and used as a verb.

#35,415
frequency rank, French
9
letters
12
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Distribuer des troupes sur les points où elles doivent séjourner.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

cantonner vs cartonne
78% similar
cantonner vs cantonnés
78% similar
cantonner vs cautionner
80% similar

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

Key facts for cantonner
PropertyValue
Headwordcantonner
LanguageFrench
Part of speechVerb
IPA\kɑ̃.tɔ.ne\
Letters9
Frequency rank#35,415
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cantonner” 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). cantonner 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 cantonner is 9 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \kɑ̃.tɔ.ne\. Corpus data places it at rank #35,415 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 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for cantonner, with forms such as "acntonner", "canntonner", and "canotnner". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "cartonne", "cantonnés", "cautionner", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No borrowing history is documented 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 cantonner, spelled C-A-N-T-O-N-N-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Distribuer des troupes sur les points où elles doivent séjourner.
  2. 2
    Prendre son cantonnement pour les troupes mêmes que l’on cantonne.
  3. 3
    Circonscrire dans certaines limites.
  4. 4
    Garnir les coins.
  5. 5
    Positionner un meuble héraldique dans un canton de l’écu.
  6. 6
    Se retirer dans un lieu où l’on estime être plus en sûreté.
  7. 7
    Se retrancher, pour un petit nombre de gens qui se fortifient contre un plus grand nombre.
  8. 8
    Se restreindre à une chose, ne pas vouloir en sortir.

This word in other languages

billet(English)acuartelar(Español)circunscrever(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: acntonner,canntonner,canotnner,cantnoner,cantonenr,cantoner,cantonnerr,cantonnre,canttonner,catnonner,ccantonner,cnatonner

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of cantonner - 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.

acntonner2canntonner1canotnner2cantnoner2cantonenr2cantoner1cantonnerr1cantonnre2
Edit distance from "cantonner"

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 "cantonner"?
"cantonner" is spelled C-A-N-T-O-N-N-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is \kɑ̃.tɔ.ne\.
What does "cantonner" mean?
As a verb, "cantonner" means: Distribuer des troupes sur les points où elles doivent séjourner.
What words are commonly confused with "cantonner"?
"cantonner" is commonly confused with "cartonne", "cantonnés", "cautionner". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cantonner"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cantonner" is \kɑ̃.tɔ.ne\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "cantonner" come from?
"cantonner" is a French word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “cantonner”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is C-A-N-T-O-N-N-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \kɑ̃.tɔ.ne\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “cartonne” - see the side-by-side comparison. cantonner vs cartonne
  • 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