censure

\sɑ̃.syʁ\

/\sɑ̃.syʁ\/ noun

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

The verdict

“censure” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #5,218 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#5,218
frequency rank, French
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
14
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Examen qu’un gouvernement fait faire des livres, des journaux, des pièces de théâtre, etc., avant d’en permettre la publication ou la représentation.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

censure vs centre
71% similar
censure vs Cesare
57% similar
censure vs césure
71% similar

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

Key facts for censure
PropertyValue
Headwordcensure
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\sɑ̃.syʁ\
Letters7
Frequency rank#5,218
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs14
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “censure” 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). censure 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 censure is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \sɑ̃.syʁ\. Corpus data places it at rank #5,218 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 10 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 censure, with forms such as "ccensure", "cennsure", and "censrue". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 14 confusable-pair relationships, "centre", "Cesare", "césure", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct French form is censure, spelled C-E-N-S-U-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Examen qu’un gouvernement fait faire des livres, des journaux, des pièces de théâtre, etc., avant d’en permettre la publication ou la représentation.
  2. 2
    Corps des personnes chargées de cet examen.
  3. 3
    Correction, répréhension, interdiction de publication.
  4. 4
    Silence médiatique concernant une publication ou une information.
  5. 5
    En matière de dogme, jugement qui porte condamnation.
  6. 6
    Excommunication, interdiction ou suspension d’exercice et de charge ecclésiastique.
  7. 7
    Peine disciplinaire que les corps, les ordres, les communautés et les assemblées délibérantes prononcent contre un de leurs membres.
  8. 8
    Dignité et fonction de censeur chez les romains.
  9. 9
    Annulation d’un acte législatif pour non-respect d’autres dispositions législatives, en particulier constitutionnelles.
  10. 10
    Fonction ayant l’effet de bloquer les désirs refoulés de l’inconscient de passer au préconscient.

This word in other languages

censorship(English)censura(Español)Zensur(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccensure,cennsure,censrue,censsure,censuer,censurre,cenusre,cesnure,cnesure,ecnsure

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccensure1cennsure1censrue2censsure1censuer2censurre1cenusre2cesnure2
Edit distance from "censure"

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 "censure"?
"censure" is spelled C-E-N-S-U-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is \sɑ̃.syʁ\.
What does "censure" mean?
As a noun, "censure" means: Examen qu’un gouvernement fait faire des livres, des journaux, des pièces de théâtre, etc., avant d’en permettre la publication ou la représentation.
What words are commonly confused with "censure"?
"censure" is commonly confused with "centre", "Cesare", "césure". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "censure"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "censure" is \sɑ̃.syʁ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "censure" come from?
"censure" 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 “censure”

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

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