change

\ʃɑ̃ʒ\

/\ʃɑ̃ʒ\/ noun

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

The verdict

“change” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #1,055 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,055
frequency rank, French
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Action de changer, troc d’une chose contre une autre.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

change vs chant
67% similar
change vs crâne
50% similar
change vs chêne
67% similar

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

Key facts for change
PropertyValue
Headwordchange
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ʃɑ̃ʒ\
Letters6
Frequency rank#1,055
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “change” 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). change 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 change is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ʃɑ̃ʒ\. Corpus data places it at rank #1,055 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 11 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for change, with forms such as "cahnge", "cchange", and "chagne". 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, "chant", "crâne", "chêne", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is change, spelled C-H-A-N-G-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Action de changer, troc d’une chose contre une autre.
  2. 2
    Conversion d’une monnaie en une autre monnaie équivalente ou de billets de banque contre de la monnaie.
  3. 3
    Prix demandé pour convertir la monnaie en une autre monnaie ou pour remettre une somme d’une place sur une autre place.
  4. 4
    Remise d’une somme d’une ville sur une autre ville. Cette remise peut être réalisée au moyen de numéraire ou d’effets de commerce qu’on appelle lettre de change ou simplement change.
  5. 5
    Écart entre la valeur nominale d’une monnaie et la valeur pour laquelle cette monnaie est acceptée dans la circulation.
  6. 6
    Lieu où se font ces opérations.
  7. 7
    Substitution que fait une bête poursuivie par les chiens d’une autre bête qu’elle met à sa place.
  8. 8
    Vêtement prévu pour se changer.
  9. 9
    Action de changer les couches d'un nourrisson ; résultat de cette action.
  10. 10
    Couche jetable pour bébés.
  11. 11
    Monnaie, petites espèces

This word in other languages

change(English)cambio(Español)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cahnge,cchange,chagne,chaneg,changge,channge,chhange,chnage,hcange

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cahnge2cchange1chagne2chaneg2changge1channge1chhange1chnage2
Edit distance from "change"

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 "change"?
"change" is spelled C-H-A-N-G-E. The IPA pronunciation is \ʃɑ̃ʒ\.
What does "change" mean?
As a noun, "change" means: Action de changer, troc d’une chose contre une autre.
What words are commonly confused with "change"?
"change" is commonly confused with "chant", "crâne", "chêne". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "change"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "change" is \ʃɑ̃ʒ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "change" come from?
"change" 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 “change”

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

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