copeau

\kɔ.po\

/\kɔ.po\/ noun

The verdict

“copeau” is uncommon French (frequency #62,168 among 257,141 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#62,168
frequency rank, French
257,141
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Éclat, morceau ou rognure qu’on enlève du bois avec un instrument tranchant.

Key facts for copeau
PropertyValue
Headwordcopeau
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\kɔ.po\
Letters6
Frequency rank#62,168
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “copeau” 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). copeau 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

copeau is uncommon French at frequency #62,168 among 257,141 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed \kɔ.po\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for copeau in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. Our dataset records no confusable match here, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct French form is copeau, spelled C-O-P-E-A-U.

Definition

  1. 1
    Éclat, morceau ou rognure qu’on enlève du bois avec un instrument tranchant.
  2. 2
    Tortillon de métal.
  3. 3
    Lamelles de bois très fines dont on fait des peignes ou des ornements.
  4. 4
    Tranches fines de roche schisteuse dont on fait les ardoises.
  5. 5
    Frites.
  6. 6
    Petits morceaux, bribes.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

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 "copeau"?
"copeau" is spelled C-O-P-E-A-U. The IPA pronunciation is \kɔ.po\.
What does "copeau" mean?
As a noun, "copeau" means: Éclat, morceau ou rognure qu’on enlève du bois avec un instrument tranchant.
How do you pronounce "copeau"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "copeau" is \kɔ.po\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "copeau" come from?
"copeau" 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.

Using “copeau”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is C-O-P-E-A-U - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \kɔ.po\ (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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list