cheval

\ʃə.val\

/\ʃə.val\/ noun

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

The verdict

“cheval” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #1,654 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,654
frequency rank, French
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
12
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Grand mammifère périssodactyle de la famille des équidés, habituellement domestiqué et employé comme monture ou comme bête de trait, de somme.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

cheval vs chèvre
50% similar
cheval vs chevet
67% similar
cheval vs cheveu
67% similar

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

Key facts for cheval
PropertyValue
Headwordcheval
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ʃə.val\
Letters6
Frequency rank#1,654
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs12
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cheval” 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). cheval 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 cheval is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ʃə.val\. Corpus data places it at rank #1,654 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 13 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 cheval, with forms such as "ccheval", "cehval", and "cheavl". 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 12 confusable-pair relationships, "chèvre", "chevet", "cheveu", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is cheval, spelled C-H-E-V-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Grand mammifère périssodactyle de la famille des équidés, habituellement domestiqué et employé comme monture ou comme bête de trait, de somme.
  2. 2
    Viande de cet animal.
  3. 3
    Appellation courante de cheval-vapeur, puissance mécanique équivalente à 748 watts.
  4. 4
    Cheval fiscal, dont l’abréviation est cv ou CV.
  5. 5
    Héroïne (drogue).
  6. 6
    Appareil gymnique, utilisé pour deux agrès différents : le cheval d’arçons et le saut de cheval.
  7. 7
    Synonyme parfois utilisé pour désigner une personne, autrefois surtout pour une personne stupide.
  8. 8
    Meuble représentant l’animal du même nom dans les armoiries. Il est généralement représenté de profil et passant.
  9. 9
    Pièce de certains jeux comme les petits chevaux, et parfois le cavalier aux échecs à cause de la forme de la pièce.
  10. 10
    Défaut du marbre consistant en une cavité emplie de matière pulvérulente, terreuse. (Note : on dit aussi une cendrure.)
  11. 11
    Article commençant au bas de la dernière colonne de la première page d'un journal.
  12. 12
    Pièce du jeu de shōgi qui constitue la forme promue du fou (« dragon-cheval » en japonais).
  13. 13
    Équitation.

Synonyms

canassoncarnedadagailgayela plus belle conquête de l’homme

This word in other languages

horse(English)caballo(Español)Pferd(Deutsch)cavalo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccheval,cehval,cheavl,chevall,chevla,chevval,chheval,chveal,hceval

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccheval1cehval2cheavl2chevall1chevla2chevval1chheval1chveal2
Edit distance from "cheval"

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 "cheval"?
"cheval" is spelled C-H-E-V-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is \ʃə.val\.
What does "cheval" mean?
As a noun, "cheval" means: Grand mammifère périssodactyle de la famille des équidés, habituellement domestiqué et employé comme monture ou comme bête de trait, de somme.
What words are commonly confused with "cheval"?
"cheval" is commonly confused with "chèvre", "chevet", "cheveu". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cheval"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cheval" is \ʃə.val\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "cheval" come from?
"cheval" 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 “cheval”

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

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