colmater

\kɔl.ma.te\

/\kɔl.ma.te\/ verb

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

The verdict

“colmater” is uncommon French (frequency #51,968 among 257,141 “C” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#51,968
frequency rank, French
257,141
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Combler un bas-fond, habituellement immergé, au moyen de terres prises dans des lieux plus élevés et que l’on fait charrier et déposer par les eaux elles-mêmes.

Key facts for colmater
PropertyValue
Headwordcolmater
LanguageFrench
Part of speechVerb
IPA\kɔl.ma.te\
Letters8
Frequency rank#51,968
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “colmater” 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). colmater lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

colmater is uncommon French at frequency #51,968 among 257,141 “C” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed \kɔl.ma.te\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

colmater has no tracked misspelling variants, a sign its spelling follows regular French conventions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

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 colmater, spelled C-O-L-M-A-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Combler un bas-fond, habituellement immergé, au moyen de terres prises dans des lieux plus élevés et que l’on fait charrier et déposer par les eaux elles-mêmes.
  2. 2
    Combler par sédimentation, par dépôt progressif.
  3. 3
    Calfater, calfeutrer, empêcher un flux, boucher un trou.

This word in other languages

plug(English)assorear(Português)

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 "colmater"?
"colmater" is spelled C-O-L-M-A-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is \kɔl.ma.te\.
What does "colmater" mean?
As a verb, "colmater" means: Combler un bas-fond, habituellement immergé, au moyen de terres prises dans des lieux plus élevés et que l’on fait charrier et déposer par les eaux elles-mêmes.
How do you pronounce "colmater"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "colmater" is \kɔl.ma.te\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "colmater" come from?
"colmater" 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 “colmater”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is C-O-L-M-A-T-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \kɔl.ma.te\ (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

Other uncommon French words near this rank

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