clé en croix

\kle ɑ̃ kʁwa\

/\kle ɑ̃ kʁwa\/ noun

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

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency French
12
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Ensemble de quatre clés sur deux tiges attachées perpendiculairement.

Key facts for clé en croix
PropertyValue
Headwordclé en croix
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\kle ɑ̃ kʁwa\
Letters12
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “clé en croix” sits in French frequency

clé en croix 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

clé en croix is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed \kle ɑ̃ kʁwa\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Ensemble de quatre clés sur deux tiges attachées perpendiculairement.".

Zero misspellings are on record for clé en croix in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable French patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is clé en croix, spelled C-L-É- -E-N- -C-R-O-I-X.

Definition

  1. 1
    Ensemble de quatre clés sur deux tiges attachées perpendiculairement.

This word in other languages

Kreuzschlüssel(Deutsch)

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 "clé en croix"?
"clé en croix" is spelled C-L-É- -E-N- -C-R-O-I-X. The IPA pronunciation is \kle ɑ̃ kʁwa\.
What does "clé en croix" mean?
As a noun, "clé en croix" means: Ensemble de quatre clés sur deux tiges attachées perpendiculairement.
How do you pronounce "clé en croix"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "clé en croix" is \kle ɑ̃ kʁwa\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "clé en croix" come from?
"clé en croix" 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 “clé en croix”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is C-L-É- -E-N- -C-R-O-I-X - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \kle ɑ̃ kʁwa\ (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