couper

Name: couper, French Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

\ku.pe\

/\ku.pe\/ verb

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“couper” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #2,418 in French word frequency and used as a verb.

#2,418
frequency rank, French: 6
letters: 7
tracked misspellings: 20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Diviser un corps continu, avec quelque chose de tranchant.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

couper vs cour

67% similar

couper vs coups

67% similar

couper vs coûte

50% similar

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

Key facts for couper
Property	Value
Headword	couper
Language	French
Part of speech	Verb
IPA	\ku.pe\
Letters	6
Frequency rank	#2,418
Misspellings tracked	7
Confusable pairs	20
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “couper” 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). couper lands here:

#2,418

#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 couper is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ku.pe\. Corpus data places it at rank #2,418 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 25 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for couper, with forms such as "ccouper", "copuer", and "couepr". 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, "cour", "coups", "coûte", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is couper, spelled C-O-U-P-E-R.

Definition

1
Diviser un corps continu, avec quelque chose de tranchant.
2
Séparer en deux ou plusieurs morceaux.
3
Tailler suivant les règles de l’art.
4
Châtrer.
5
Séparer un jeu de cartes en deux avant que celui qui a la main donne.
6
Fournir une carte d’atout au lieu d’une carte d’une couleur manquante, ce qui, la plupart du temps, emporte le point. → voir surcouper
7
Traverser.
8
Croiser avec autre chose.
9
Barrer, intercepter, rendre impraticable.
10
Interrompre, arrêter, faire cesser.
11
Éloigner.
12
Mêler un liquide avec un autre de force moindre. Absolument, y mêler de l’eau.
13
Pousser la balle de manière qu’elle ralentisse et dévie dans son rebond.
14
Être coupant, tranchant.
15
Prendre un raccourci, aller par le chemin le plus court.
16
Achever de passer l’épée par-dessus la pointe de l’épée de l’adversaire.
17
Faire le pas qu’on nomme coupé.
18
Entamer la chair, y faire une incision.
19
S’user facilement à l’endroit des plis.
20
Se contredire, se démentir soi-même dans ses discours, laisser échapper une chose qu’on voulait cacher. → voir recouper
21
(réciproque) Se croiser.
22
Croire à quelque chose de trompeur, se laisser berner, tomber dans le panneau.
23
Couper la tête, guillotiner.
24
Réduire des crédits, un budget.
25
Échapper à, être dispensé, être exempté.

Synonyms

casser fendre inciser trancher

This word in other languages

cut(English)cortar(Español)abhauen(Deutsch)aguar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccouper,copuer,couepr,couperr,coupper,coupre,cuoper

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of couper - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

Edit distance from "couper"

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 "couper"?

"couper" is spelled C-O-U-P-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is \ku.pe\.

What does "couper" mean?

As a verb, "couper" means: Diviser un corps continu, avec quelque chose de tranchant.

What words are commonly confused with "couper"?

"couper" is commonly confused with "cour", "coups", "coûte". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "couper"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "couper" is \ku.pe\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.

What language does "couper" come from?

"couper" 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 “couper”

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

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