coup de feu

\ku də fø\

/\ku də fø\/ noun

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

The verdict

“coup de feu” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Détonation produite par une arme à feu, lors d’un tir.

Key facts for coup de feu
PropertyValue
Headwordcoup de feu
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ku də fø\
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “coup de feu” sits in French frequency

coup de feu falls outside the top-100,000 ranked French words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

coup de feu is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed \ku də fø\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 8 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for coup de feu, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct French form is coup de feu, spelled C-O-U-P- -D-E- -F-E-U.

Definition

  1. 1
    Détonation produite par une arme à feu, lors d’un tir.
  2. 2
    Signal sonore qui donne le départ d’une course, même s’il n'est pas donné avec un pistolet.
  3. 3
    Départ d'une course.
  4. 4
    Brusque élévation de la température d’une fermentation de matières organiques (compost, fumier, etc.)
  5. 5
    Brusque affluence de clients qui se traduit par une activité intense.
  6. 6
    Affluence de faits, activité intense.
  7. 7
    Cuisson excessive d’un mets.
  8. 8
    Type d'appareil de cuisson − généralement professionnel − dont la partie chauffante est composée d’une plaque très épaisse pour accumuler la chaleur et la restituer très rapidement à une poêle, une casserole, etc.

Synonyms

coup de bourre

This word in other languages

gunshot(English)balazo(Español)tiro(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "coup de feu"?
"coup de feu" is spelled C-O-U-P- -D-E- -F-E-U. The IPA pronunciation is \ku də fø\.
What does "coup de feu" mean?
As a noun, "coup de feu" means: Détonation produite par une arme à feu, lors d’un tir.
How do you pronounce "coup de feu"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "coup de feu" is \ku də fø\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "coup de feu" come from?
"coup de feu" 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 “coup de feu”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is C-O-U-P- -D-E- -F-E-U - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ku də fø\ (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
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