castor

\kas.tɔʁ\

/\kas.tɔʁ\/ noun

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

The verdict

“castor” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #17,363 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#17,363
frequency rank, French
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
19
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Quadrupède mammifère rongeur semi-aquatique à queue plate, qui habite ordinairement dans les lieux aquatiques.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

castor vs caton
67% similar
castor vs castro
67% similar
castor vs custom
67% similar

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

Key facts for castor
PropertyValue
Headwordcastor
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\kas.tɔʁ\
Letters6
Frequency rank#17,363
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs19
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “castor” 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). castor 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 castor is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \kas.tɔʁ\. Corpus data places it at rank #17,363 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 9 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 castor, with forms such as "acstor", "casotr", and "casstor". 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 19 confusable-pair relationships, "caton", "castro", "custom", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is castor, spelled C-A-S-T-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Quadrupède mammifère rongeur semi-aquatique à queue plate, qui habite ordinairement dans les lieux aquatiques.
  2. 2
    Sa fourrure.
  3. 3
    Élève des classes préparatoires au concours des Écoles d’Arts et Métiers.
  4. 4
    Dans le monde du négoce en France, désigne un particulier qui construit son habitation largement seul selon le mode de l’autoconstruction.
  5. 5
    Meuble représentant l’animal du même nom dans les armoiries. Il est généralement représenté passant. À rapprocher de bièvre, connil, écureuil, lapin et lièvre.
  6. 6
    Personne appelant à « faire barrage » à un parti jugé extrémiste lors d’élections afin qu’il n’atteigne pas le pouvoir.
  7. 7
    Type de cuir de veau chamoisé où la peau n'est pas refendue, on l'utilise pour la confection de chaussures. → voir veaulaque
  8. 8
    Plus jeune catégorie de scouts, entre 5 et 7 ans, ou entre 6 et 8 ans.
  9. 9
    Étoffe de laine foulonnée rendue imperméable par la conservation d’une partie du suint, utilisée notamment pour la confection de chapeaux et de vêtements de marin. Drap en serge de laine cardée, utilisé pour la fabrication de manteaux et dont la contexture est la même que celle du cachemire d’Écosse.

Synonyms

bièvre

This word in other languages

beaver(English)castor(Español)Biber(Deutsch)castor(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: acstor,casotr,casstor,castorr,casttor,catsor,ccastor,csator

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

acstor2casotr2casstor1castorr1casttor1catsor2ccastor1csator2
Edit distance from "castor"

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 "castor"?
"castor" is spelled C-A-S-T-O-R. The IPA pronunciation is \kas.tɔʁ\.
What does "castor" mean?
As a noun, "castor" means: Quadrupède mammifère rongeur semi-aquatique à queue plate, qui habite ordinairement dans les lieux aquatiques.
What words are commonly confused with "castor"?
"castor" is commonly confused with "caton", "castro", "custom". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "castor"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "castor" is \kas.tɔʁ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "castor" come from?
"castor" 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 “castor”

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

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