connaissance

\kɔ.nɛ.sɑ̃s\

/\kɔ.nɛ.sɑ̃s\/ noun

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

The verdict

“connaissance” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #1,226 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,226
frequency rank, French
12
letters
14
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Exercice de la faculté par laquelle on connaît et on distingue les objets.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

connaissance vs connaissant
83% similar
connaissance vs connaissances
92% similar

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

Key facts for connaissance
PropertyValue
Headwordconnaissance
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\kɔ.nɛ.sɑ̃s\
Letters12
Frequency rank#1,226
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “connaissance” 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). connaissance 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 connaissance is 12 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \kɔ.nɛ.sɑ̃s\. Corpus data places it at rank #1,226 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for connaissance, with forms such as "cconnaissance", "cnonaissance", and "conaissance". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "connaissant", "connaissances", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is connaissance, spelled C-O-N-N-A-I-S-S-A-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Exercice de la faculté par laquelle on connaît et on distingue les objets.
  2. 2
    Idée, notion, concept qu’on a de quelque chose, de quelqu’un ; le fait de le connaître.
  3. 3
    En parlant d'un tribunal ou d'un juge, droit de traiter certaines affaires.
  4. 4
    Personne connue, avec laquelle on a des liaisons ou des relations.
  5. 5
    Savoir, instruction, lumières acquises.
  6. 6
    Relation privilégiée avec les choses de la sorcellerie.

Synonyms

consciencecompréhensionacquiscompétencecultureéruditioninstructionsavoirscienceamicollèguerelation

Antonyms

ignorancedouteinconnaissanceinconscienceinexpérience

This word in other languages

knowledge(English)conciencia(Español)Kenntnis(Deutsch)conhecimento(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cconnaissance,cnonaissance,conaissance,conanissance,connaisance,connaisasnce,connaissacne,connaissancce,connaissanec,connaissannce,connaissnace,connasisance,conniassance,ocnnaissance

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of connaissance - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

cconnaissance1cnonaissance2conaissance1conanissance2connaisance1connaisasnce2connaissacne2connaissancce1
Edit distance from "connaissance"

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 "connaissance"?
"connaissance" is spelled C-O-N-N-A-I-S-S-A-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is \kɔ.nɛ.sɑ̃s\.
What does "connaissance" mean?
As a noun, "connaissance" means: Exercice de la faculté par laquelle on connaît et on distingue les objets.
What words are commonly confused with "connaissance"?
"connaissance" is commonly confused with "connaissant", "connaissances". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "connaissance"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "connaissance" is \kɔ.nɛ.sɑ̃s\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "connaissance" come from?
"connaissance" 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 “connaissance”

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

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