coup

\ku\

/\ku\/ noun

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

The verdict

“coup” is in the everyday core of French, ranked #226 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#226
frequency rank, French
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Impression que fait un corps sur un autre en le frappant.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

coup vs CP
0% similar
coup vs cul
50% similar
coup vs cru
50% similar

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

Key facts for coup
PropertyValue
Headwordcoup
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ku\
Letters4
Frequency rank#226
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “coup” 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). coup 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 coup is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ku\. Corpus data places it at rank #226 in overall French word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 15 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for coup, with forms such as "ccoup", "copu", and "coupp". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "CP", "cul", "cru", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct French form is coup, spelled C-O-U-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    Impression que fait un corps sur un autre en le frappant.
  2. 2
    Se dit en parlant des choses qui nuisent, qui causent un sentiment pénible, etc.
  3. 3
    Décharge et bruit que font les armes à feu lorsqu’on les tire.
  4. 4
    Évènement imprévu qui a frappé quelqu’un soudainement.
  5. 5
    Son que rendent certains corps lorsqu’ils viennent à être frappés.
  6. 6
    Action rapide et momentanée.
  7. 7
    Ce qu’on fait rapidement, légèrement, ou sans y apporter le même soin que de coutume.
  8. 8
    Petite quantité de quelque chose.
  9. 9
    Mouvement impétueux, comme du vent qui souffle sur la mer, d’une tempête.
  10. 10
    Manière de jouer, chance au jeu.
  11. 11
    Action humaine inattendue.
  12. 12
    Fois.
  13. 13
    Quantité que l’on boit en une fois.
  14. 14
    Acte sexuel expéditif.
  15. 15
    Partie, sortie.

Synonyms

chocgorgéetir

Antonyms

caresse

This word in other languages

blow(English)golpe(Español)Schlag(Deutsch)alcance(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccoup,copu,coupp,cuop,ocup

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of coup - 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.

ccoup1copu2coupp1cuop2ocup2
Edit distance from "coup"

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 "coup"?
"coup" is spelled C-O-U-P. The IPA pronunciation is \ku\.
What does "coup" mean?
As a noun, "coup" means: Impression que fait un corps sur un autre en le frappant.
What words are commonly confused with "coup"?
"coup" is commonly confused with "CP", "cul", "cru". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "coup"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "coup" is \ku\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "coup" come from?
"coup" 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 “coup”

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

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