capsule

\kap.syl\

/\kap.syl\/ noun

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

The verdict

“capsule” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #11,008 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#11,008
frequency rank, French
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Fruit sec déhiscent, contenant de nombreuses graines, qui s'ouvre par plusieurs fentes, parfois par un couvercle ou par des pores.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

capsule vs castle
71% similar
capsule vs capture
71% similar
capsule vs cassure
71% similar

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

Key facts for capsule
PropertyValue
Headwordcapsule
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\kap.syl\
Letters7
Frequency rank#11,008
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “capsule” 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). capsule 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 capsule is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \kap.syl\. Corpus data places it at rank #11,008 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 16 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for capsule, with forms such as "acpsule", "cappsule", and "capslue". 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 10 confusable-pair relationships, "castle", "capture", "cassure", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is capsule, spelled C-A-P-S-U-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Fruit sec déhiscent, contenant de nombreuses graines, qui s'ouvre par plusieurs fentes, parfois par un couvercle ou par des pores.
  2. 2
    Partie en forme de sac ou de poche, de certaines enveloppes membraneuses.
  3. 3
    Vase en forme de calotte sphérique dont on se sert principalement pour l’évaporation des liquides.
  4. 4
    Enveloppe gommeuse soluble et sans goût dont on entoure certains médicaments désagréables à prendre ou qui sont sous forme liquide.
  5. 5
    Enveloppe plastique d’une confiserie contenant un jouet.
  6. 6
    Enveloppe de métal ou de plastique destinée à préserver des denrées alimentaires.
  7. 7
    Petit godet de cuivre, au fond duquel est une amorce fulminante, dont on se sert pour enflammer les anciennes armes à percussion.
  8. 8
    Enveloppe en étain, en aluminium, ou en plastique, qui recouvre, après le bouchage, le goulot des flacons ou des bouteilles, de vins et de liqueurs.
  9. 9
    Pastille de métal emboutie sur le goulot d’une bouteille, pour en assurer le bouchage.
  10. 10
    Couvercle cylindrique, destiné à obturer un tuyau de poêle inutilisé, ou le passage d'un tuyau de poêle dans un mur. ^([])
  11. 11
    Engin spatial.
  12. 12
    Habitat de flottaison.
  13. 13
    Capsule à crayon.
  14. 14
    Brève note sur un sujet donné, rédigée par un spécialiste, et destinée à un public n’ayant pas les mêmes connaissances que le spécialiste.
  15. 15
    Collection capsule.
  16. 16
    Production écrite, orale ou audiovisuelle qui traite, de manière condensée, d’un sujet ou d’un thème donné.

Synonyms

bouchon couronne

This word in other languages

capsule(English)cápsula(Español)Kapsel(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: acpsule,cappsule,capslue,capssule,capsuel,capsulle,capusle,caspule,ccapsule,cpasule

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

acpsule2cappsule1capslue2capssule1capsuel2capsulle1capusle2caspule2
Edit distance from "capsule"

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 "capsule"?
"capsule" is spelled C-A-P-S-U-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is \kap.syl\.
What does "capsule" mean?
As a noun, "capsule" means: Fruit sec déhiscent, contenant de nombreuses graines, qui s'ouvre par plusieurs fentes, parfois par un couvercle ou par des pores.
What words are commonly confused with "capsule"?
"capsule" is commonly confused with "castle", "capture", "cassure". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "capsule"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "capsule" is \kap.syl\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "capsule" come from?
"capsule" 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 “capsule”

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

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