courriel

\ku.ʁjɛl\

/\ku.ʁjɛl\/ noun

The verdict

“courriel” has 9 generated spelling variants in the French index at frequency #9,634. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#9,634
frequency rank, French
257,141
“C” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Système de transmission de messages électroniques entre différents utilisateurs, en différé, et en utilisant le réseau internet.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

courriel vs courrier
88% similar
courriel vs courtier
75% similar
courriel vs courroie
75% similar

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

Key facts for courriel
PropertyValue
Headwordcourriel
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ku.ʁjɛl\
Letters8
Frequency rank#9,634
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “courriel” 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). courriel lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around courriel (IPA \ku.ʁjɛl\), anoun. Corpus frequency is #9,634 among 257,141 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for courriel, with forms such as "ccourriel", "coruriel", and "couriel". 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 10 confusable-pair relationships, "courrier", "courtier", "courroie", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is courriel, spelled C-O-U-R-R-I-E-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Système de transmission de messages électroniques entre différents utilisateurs, en différé, et en utilisant le réseau internet.
  2. 2
    Message transmis en utilisant ce système.
  3. 3
    Adresse courriel.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccourriel
  • coruriel
  • couriel
  • courirel
  • courreil
  • courriell
  • courrile
  • cuorriel
  • ocurriel

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccourriel1coruriel2couriel1courirel2courreil2courriell1courrile2cuorriel2
Edit distance from "courriel"

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 "courriel"?
"courriel" is spelled C-O-U-R-R-I-E-L. The IPA pronunciation is \ku.ʁjɛl\.
What does "courriel" mean?
As a noun, "courriel" means: Système de transmission de messages électroniques entre différents utilisateurs, en différé, et en utilisant le réseau internet.
What words are commonly confused with "courriel"?
"courriel" is commonly confused with "courrier", "courtier", "courroie". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "courriel"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "courriel" is \ku.ʁjɛl\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "courriel" come from?
"courriel" is a French word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “courriel”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is C-O-U-R-R-I-E-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ku.ʁjɛl\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “courrier” - see the side-by-side comparison. courriel vs courrier
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words

Same frequency band

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