chèvre

\ʃɛvʁ\

/\ʃɛvʁ\/ noun

The verdict

“chèvre” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #8,214 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#8,214
frequency rank, French
6
letters
10
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Genre de mammifère de l’ordre des ruminants, à cornes creuses et persistantes et à menton garni d’une barbe.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

chèvre vs crevé
33% similar
chèvre vs couvre
67% similar
chèvre vs cuivre
67% similar

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

Key facts for chèvre
PropertyValue
Headwordchèvre
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ʃɛvʁ\
Letters6
Frequency rank#8,214
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “chèvre” 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). chèvre 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 chèvre is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ʃɛvʁ\. Corpus data places it at rank #8,214 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 15 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 chèvre, with forms such as "cchèvre", "chevre", and "chhèvre". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "crevé", "couvre", "cuivre", 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 pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is chèvre, spelled C-H-È-V-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Genre de mammifère de l’ordre des ruminants, à cornes creuses et persistantes et à menton garni d’une barbe.
  2. 2
    La femelle de ce mammifère, qui a pour mâle le bouc.
  3. 3
    Action de jouer à arrocher ou à lapider une chèvre.
  4. 4
    Dispositif propre à élever des fardeaux, des poutres ou sur lequel on appuie quelque chose. → voir grue d’atelier
  5. 5
    Outil composé de deux croix de Saint-André, sur lesquelles on pose des morceaux de bois pour les scier. → voir chevalet à bois
  6. 6
    Table à trois pieds pour faire des fromages.
  7. 7
    Officier ou un agent envoyé volontairement à un service de renseignement pour être recruté comme agent double.
  8. 8
    Huitième signe astrologique chinois. → voir Bélimouchèvre, chèvre d’eau, chèvre de bois, chèvre de feu, chèvre de terre et chèvre de métal
  9. 9
    Dispositif qui sert à maintenir la fusée d’un moulin à soie.
  10. 10
    Pieux sur lesquels on pose les filets.
  11. 11
    Bon à rien.
  12. 12
    Meuble représentant l’animal du même nom dans les armoiries. Elle se blasonne comme le bouc dont elle se distingue par les cornes et n’a pas de vilénie voire par l’ajout de pis dans les représentations moins stylisées. À rapprocher de bouc, bouquetin, chamois et mouflon.
  13. 13
    Boisson alcoolisée mousseuse obtenue par fermentation sous pression de jus de pomme ou de raisin.
  14. 14
    Surnom donné à l'insecte appelé hydromètre.
  15. 15
    Meuble qui permet de suspendre des affiches et objets.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cchèvre,chevre,chhèvre,chvère,chèrve,chèver,chèvrre,chèvvre,cèhvre,hcèvre

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cchèvre1chevre1chhèvre1chvère2chèrve2chèver2chèvrre1chèvvre1
Edit distance from "chèvre"

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 "chèvre"?
"chèvre" is spelled C-H-È-V-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is \ʃɛvʁ\.
What does "chèvre" mean?
As a noun, "chèvre" means: Genre de mammifère de l’ordre des ruminants, à cornes creuses et persistantes et à menton garni d’une barbe.
What words are commonly confused with "chèvre"?
"chèvre" is commonly confused with "crevé", "couvre", "cuivre". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "chèvre"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chèvre" is \ʃɛvʁ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "chèvre" come from?
"chèvre" 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 “chèvre”

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

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