circonvolution

\siʁ.kɔ̃.vɔ.ly.sjɔ̃\

/\siʁ.kɔ̃.vɔ.ly.sjɔ̃\/ noun

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

The verdict

“circonvolution” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
14
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Course circulaire ou elliptique autour d’un centre plus ou moins fixe.

Key facts for circonvolution
PropertyValue
Headwordcirconvolution
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\siʁ.kɔ̃.vɔ.ly.sjɔ̃\
Letters14
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “circonvolution” sits in French frequency

circonvolution falls outside the top-100,000 ranked French words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

circonvolution is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed \siʁ.kɔ̃.vɔ.ly.sjɔ̃\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for circonvolution in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is circonvolution, spelled C-I-R-C-O-N-V-O-L-U-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Course circulaire ou elliptique autour d’un centre plus ou moins fixe.
  2. 2
    Enroulement que forment certaines parties du corps (intestins dans l’abdomen ou sinuosités du cerveau et du cervelet dans le crâne).
  3. 3
    Fait de s’exprimer de façon complexe, spécialement en tournant autour d’une idée centrale, en y revenant toujours. Le plus souvent en exprimant quelque chose de façon indirecte, ce qui rapproche le sens de celui de circonlocution.

Synonyms

révolutioncirconrévolutiongyruscirconlocution

This word in other languages

whorl(English)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "circonvolution"?
"circonvolution" is spelled C-I-R-C-O-N-V-O-L-U-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is \siʁ.kɔ̃.vɔ.ly.sjɔ̃\.
What does "circonvolution" mean?
As a noun, "circonvolution" means: Course circulaire ou elliptique autour d’un centre plus ou moins fixe.
How do you pronounce "circonvolution"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "circonvolution" is \siʁ.kɔ̃.vɔ.ly.sjɔ̃\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "circonvolution" come from?
"circonvolution" 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 “circonvolution”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is C-I-R-C-O-N-V-O-L-U-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \siʁ.kɔ̃.vɔ.ly.sjɔ̃\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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