couvrir

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

\ku.vʁiʁ\

/\ku.vʁiʁ\/ verb

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

The verdict

“couvrir” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #4,063 in French word frequency and used as a verb.

#4,063
frequency rank, French: 7
letters: 10
tracked misspellings: 9
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Garnir, revêtir, pour protéger ou orner en appliquant, en déposant quelque chose.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

couvrir vs couvrira

88% similar

couvrir vs courir

86% similar

couvrir vs couvre

71% similar

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

Key facts for couvrir
Property	Value
Headword	couvrir
Language	French
Part of speech	Verb
IPA	\ku.vʁiʁ\
Letters	7
Frequency rank	#4,063
Misspellings tracked	10
Confusable pairs	9
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “couvrir” 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). couvrir lands here:

#4,063

#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 couvrir is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ku.vʁiʁ\. Corpus data places it at rank #4,063 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 19 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for couvrir, with forms such as "ccouvrir", "courvir", and "couvirr". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 9 confusable-pair relationships, "couvrira", "courir", "couvre", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is couvrir, spelled C-O-U-V-R-I-R.

Definition

1
Garnir, revêtir, pour protéger ou orner en appliquant, en déposant quelque chose.
2
Vêtir chaudement.
3
Garnir en grande quantité, en déposant quelque chose sur quelque chose, ou en s'étendant uniformément sur quelque chose.
4
Interposer une chose comme défense ou rempart.
5
Assurer un tir de suppression pour protéger un élément ami en mouvement.
6
Cacher.
7
Pallier ; excuser.
8
Effacer, réparer, en parlant des fautes, des manquements.
9
Dominer, étouffer.
10
Suffire à.
11
S’accoupler avec la femelle.
12
Relater journalistiquement un événement.
13
En parlant d'un cheval dans une course hippique, se rabattre devant un autre.
14
Se vêtir, s’envelopper.
15
Mettre sur sa tête quelque chose qui coiffe. Absolument : mettre son chapeau.
16
Rembourser une perte, un dommage.
17
Être rempli.
18
Se défendre, se protéger.
19
Se cacher sous.

This word in other languages

cover(English)cubrir(Español)zudecken(Deutsch)cobrir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccouvrir,courvir,couvirr,couvrirr,couvrri,couvrrir,couvvrir,covurir,cuovrir,ocuvrir

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of couvrir - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

Edit distance from "couvrir"

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 "couvrir"?

"couvrir" is spelled C-O-U-V-R-I-R. The IPA pronunciation is \ku.vʁiʁ\.

What does "couvrir" mean?

As a verb, "couvrir" means: Garnir, revêtir, pour protéger ou orner en appliquant, en déposant quelque chose.

What words are commonly confused with "couvrir"?

"couvrir" is commonly confused with "couvrira", "courir", "couvre". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "couvrir"?

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

What language does "couvrir" come from?

"couvrir" 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 “couvrir”

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

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