compter

\kɔ̃.te\

/\kɔ̃.te\/ verb

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

The verdict

“compter” has 11 generated spelling variants in the French index at frequency #1,323. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#1,323
frequency rank, French
8,609
“C” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Déterminer (une quantité, un nombre), plus particulièrement par un dénombrement, sinon par un calcul.

Corpus desk

Index FR-compter · compter · French

compter · rank #1,323 · 11 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #1,323
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 8,609
  • PHOTO-FINISH choisir

Nearest frequency peer: choisir (-1 rank slots)

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Frequency neighbourhood for “compter”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “compter” sits against the nearest ranked French headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

compter vs comte
71% similar
compter vs coter
71% similar
compter vs couper
71% similar

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

Key facts for compter
PropertyValue
Headwordcompter
LanguageFrench
Part of speechVerb
IPA\kɔ̃.te\
Letters7
Frequency rank#1,323
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “compter” 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).compter lands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around compter (IPA \kɔ̃.te\), averb. Corpus frequency is #1,323 among 8,609 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 16 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for compter, with forms such as "ccompter", "cmopter", and "commpter". 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, "comte", "coter", "couper", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is compter, spelled C-O-M-P-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Déterminer (une quantité, un nombre), plus particulièrement par un dénombrement, sinon par un calcul.
  2. 2
    Calculer.
  3. 3
    Énoncer successivement les nombres entiers naturels.
  4. 4
    Lésiner.
  5. 5
    Trouver trop grande une quantité.
  6. 6
    Payer une somme à quelqu’un.
  7. 7
    Tenir compte d’une chose à quelqu’un.
  8. 8
    Marquer, signaler.
  9. 9
    Ranger une personne, une chose parmi d’autres.
  10. 10
    Comprendre dans un compte, dans une énumération.
  11. 11
    Comprendre.
  12. 12
    Être compté.
  13. 13
    Régler, solder le compte qu’on a avec quelqu’un.
  14. 14
    Tenir compte à quelqu’un ou quelque chose, de ce qu’il veut, de ce qu’il peut, de ce qu’on lui doit.
  15. 15
    Se proposer ; croire ; projeter.
  16. 16
    Avoir de l'importance.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how compter appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Des joueurs de belote, assis au fond d'une buvette, comptaient leurs points parmi les rires, les plaisanteries, les grosses bourrades, […].
  2. Onze heures sonnaient à Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois. Maurevel compta l’un après l’autre chaque battement de marteau qui retentissait vibrant et lugubre dans la nuit, […].

This word in other languages

calculate(English)contar(Español)erachten(Deutsch)calcular(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccompter
  • cmopter
  • commpter
  • competr
  • comppter
  • compterr
  • comptre
  • comptter
  • comtper
  • copmter
  • ocmpter

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccompter1cmopter2commpter1competr2comppter1compterr1comptre2comptter1
Edit distance from "compter"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "compter"?
"compter" is spelled C-O-M-P-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is \kɔ̃.te\.
What does "compter" mean?
As a verb, "compter" means: Déterminer (une quantité, un nombre), plus particulièrement par un dénombrement, sinon par un calcul.
What words are commonly confused with "compter"?
"compter" is commonly confused with "comte", "coter", "couper". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "compter"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "compter" is \kɔ̃.te\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "compter" come from?
"compter" 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.

Similar French words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "compter", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked French headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

choisir#1,322connaît#1,324bonheur#1,318équipes#1,311

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

certaine11 variantsrentrer11 variantsretraite11 variantsLondres11 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "compter". Here's where to go from here.

  • "compter" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "comte". View pair
  • 11 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #1,323 among French headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more French words in the "C" letter cohort. C–Z browse

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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