coup de tonnerre

\ku də tɔ.nɛʁ\

/\ku də tɔ.nɛʁ\/ noun

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

The verdict

“coup de tonnerre” is outside the top-ranked French vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
16
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Action de la foudre sur les corps qu’elle frappe.

Key facts for coup de tonnerre
PropertyValue
Headwordcoup de tonnerre
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ku də tɔ.nɛʁ\
Letters16
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “coup de tonnerre” sits in French frequency

coup de tonnerre 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.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The French entry for coup de tonnerre is 16 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ku də tɔ.nɛʁ\. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for coup de tonnerre, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is coup de tonnerre, spelled C-O-U-P- -D-E- -T-O-N-N-E-R-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Action de la foudre sur les corps qu’elle frappe.
  2. 2
    Bruit qui accompagne ou suit un éclair.
  3. 3
    Chamboulement soudain.

This word in other languages

thunderbolt(English)trueno(Español)trovão(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 tonnerre"?
"coup de tonnerre" is spelled C-O-U-P- -D-E- -T-O-N-N-E-R-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is \ku də tɔ.nɛʁ\.
What does "coup de tonnerre" mean?
As a noun, "coup de tonnerre" means: Action de la foudre sur les corps qu’elle frappe.
How do you pronounce "coup de tonnerre"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "coup de tonnerre" is \ku də tɔ.nɛʁ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "coup de tonnerre" come from?
"coup de tonnerre" 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 de tonnerre”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is C-O-U-P- -D-E- -T-O-N-N-E-R-R-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ku də tɔ.nɛʁ\ (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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list