commencer

\kɔ.mɑ̃.se\

/\kɔ.mɑ̃.se\/ verb

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

The verdict

“commencer” is in the everyday core of French, ranked #976 in French word frequency and used as a verb.

#976
frequency rank, French
9
letters
12
tracked misspellings
19
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Engager une action, entreprendre une tâche, donner à une chose un commencement d’existence.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

commencer vs commerce
78% similar
commencer vs commente
78% similar
commencer vs commerces
78% similar

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

Key facts for commencer
PropertyValue
Headwordcommencer
LanguageFrench
Part of speechVerb
IPA\kɔ.mɑ̃.se\
Letters9
Frequency rank#976
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs19
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “commencer” 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). commencer 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 commencer is 9 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \kɔ.mɑ̃.se\. Corpus data places it at rank #976 in overall French word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for commencer, with forms such as "ccommencer", "cmomencer", and "comemncer". 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 19 confusable-pair relationships, "commerce", "commente", "commerces", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is commencer, spelled C-O-M-M-E-N-C-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Engager une action, entreprendre une tâche, donner à une chose un commencement d’existence.
  2. 2
    Entrer dans un nouvel état, dans une nouvelle situation.
  3. 3
    Être au début d'une période de temps.
  4. 4
    Être encore dans les premiers temps d'une période déterminée.
  5. 5
    Faire une première chose au début d'une période donnée.
  6. 6
    Donner, à quelqu’un, les premières leçons, les premiers commencements d'un art, d'une science.
  7. 7
    Donner les premières leçons de manège à un cheval.
  8. 8
    Entrer dans son commencement.

Synonyms

débuterinitieramorcerentamerse mettre àentreprendre

Antonyms

finirterminerachever

This word in other languages

start(English)comenzar(Español)anfangen(Deutsch)começar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccommencer,cmomencer,comemncer,comencer,commecner,commenccer,commencerr,commencre,commenecr,commenncer,commnecer,ocmmencer

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccommencer1cmomencer2comemncer2comencer1commecner2commenccer1commencerr1commencre2
Edit distance from "commencer"

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 "commencer"?
"commencer" is spelled C-O-M-M-E-N-C-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is \kɔ.mɑ̃.se\.
What does "commencer" mean?
As a verb, "commencer" means: Engager une action, entreprendre une tâche, donner à une chose un commencement d’existence.
What words are commonly confused with "commencer"?
"commencer" is commonly confused with "commerce", "commente", "commerces". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "commencer"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "commencer" is \kɔ.mɑ̃.se\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "commencer" come from?
"commencer" 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 “commencer”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is C-O-M-M-E-N-C-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \kɔ.mɑ̃.se\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “commerce” - see the side-by-side comparison. commencer vs commerce
  • 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