corset

\kɔʁ.sɛ\

/\kɔʁ.sɛ\/ noun

The verdict

“corset” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #30,114 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#30,114
frequency rank, French
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Vêtement militaire en cuir ou en acier destiné à protéger le thorax.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

corset vs cost
67% similar
corset vs corte
67% similar
corset vs cosse
67% similar

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

Key facts for corset
PropertyValue
Headwordcorset
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\kɔʁ.sɛ\
Letters6
Frequency rank#30,114
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “corset” 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). corset 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 corset is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \kɔʁ.sɛ\. Corpus data places it at rank #30,114 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for corset, with forms such as "ccorset", "corest", and "corrset". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "cost", "corte", "cosse", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Our source data has no etymology on file 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 corset, spelled C-O-R-S-E-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Vêtement militaire en cuir ou en acier destiné à protéger le thorax.
  2. 2
    Sous-vêtement baleiné et lacé, destiné à soutenir la poitrine, à serrer la taille et le ventre, à maintenir les bas et qui se mettait d’ordinaire sous le corsage ou la chemise.
  3. 3
    Corsage.
  4. 4
    Soutien, armature, maintien, renforcement, etc.
  5. 5
    Protection de quelque chose de fragile et précieux.
  6. 6
    Ensemble de règles limitatives.
  7. 7
    Bandage qui entoure le tronc et le soutien fermement.
  8. 8
    Armature de métal, de bois ou de paille qui protège les jeunes arbres.
  9. 9
    Assignat de cinq livres émis sous la Révolution française, appelé ainsi car signé par Corset, (aussi orthographié Corcet par Châteaubriand dans ses Mémoires d'outre-tombe, Livre XIX, chapitre 6).

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccorset,corest,corrset,corsett,corsset,corste,cosret,croset,ocrset

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccorset1corest2corrset1corsett1corsset1corste2cosret2croset2
Edit distance from "corset"

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 "corset"?
"corset" is spelled C-O-R-S-E-T. The IPA pronunciation is \kɔʁ.sɛ\.
What does "corset" mean?
As a noun, "corset" means: Vêtement militaire en cuir ou en acier destiné à protéger le thorax.
What words are commonly confused with "corset"?
"corset" is commonly confused with "cost", "corte", "cosse". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "corset"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "corset" is \kɔʁ.sɛ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "corset" come from?
"corset" 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 “corset”

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

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