controls

\kən.ˈtɹoʊlz\

/\kən.ˈtɹoʊlz\/ verb

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

The verdict

“controls” is uncommon French (frequency #84,662 among 257,141 “C” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#84,662
frequency rank, French
257,141
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Troisième personne du singulier de l’indicatif présent de control.

Key facts for controls
PropertyValue
Headwordcontrols
LanguageFrench
Part of speechVerb
IPA\kən.ˈtɹoʊlz\
Letters8
Frequency rank#84,662
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “controls” 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). controls 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

controls is uncommon French at frequency #84,662 among 257,141 “C” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed \kən.ˈtɹoʊlz\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Troisième personne du singulier de l’indicatif présent de control.".

No misspelling variants are generated for controls in our index, 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 borrowing history is documented for this entry, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct French form is controls, spelled C-O-N-T-R-O-L-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Troisième personne du singulier de l’indicatif présent de control.

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 "controls"?
"controls" is spelled C-O-N-T-R-O-L-S. The IPA pronunciation is \kən.ˈtɹoʊlz\.
What does "controls" mean?
As a verb, "controls" means: Troisième personne du singulier de l’indicatif présent de control.
How do you pronounce "controls"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "controls" is \kən.ˈtɹoʊlz\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "controls" come from?
"controls" is a French word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “controls”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is C-O-N-T-R-O-L-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \kən.ˈtɹoʊlz\ (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