coup de main
\ku d(ə) mɛ̃\
The verdict
“coup de main” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency French
- 12
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Expédition ou attaque faite à l’improviste.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | coup de main |
| Language | French |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | \ku d(ə) mɛ̃\ |
| Letters | 12 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “coup de main” sits in French frequency
Rare enough to double-check
coup de main is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed \ku d(ə) mɛ̃\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.
The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for coup de main, suggesting the orthography follows predictable French patterns. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.
No documented word history exists for this headword, 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 coup de main, spelled C-O-U-P- -D-E- -M-A-I-N.
Definition
- 1Expédition ou attaque faite à l’improviste.
- 2Entreprise hardie dont l’exécution est prompte.
- 3Un peu d’aide, du soutien généralement sous une forme concrète et efficace. → voir donner un coup de main
- 4Façon de manipuler, de travailler avec habileté ; savoir-faire.
- 5Effet non souhaité, mauvaise impulsion donnée à une boule par maladresse ou habitude et déviant sa trajectoire.
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). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “coup de main”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct French spelling is C-O-U-P- -D-E- -M-A-I-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as \ku d(ə) mɛ̃\ (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.