cul-de-lampe
\ky.də.lɑ̃p\
The verdict
“cul-de-lampe” 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) - Encorbellement sur trois assises en forme de cône ou de pyramide renversée.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | cul-de-lampe |
| Language | French |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | \ky.də.lɑ̃p\ |
| Letters | 12 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “cul-de-lampe” sits in French frequency
Rare enough to double-check
cul-de-lampe is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed \ky.də.lɑ̃p\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.
Zero misspellings are on record for cul-de-lampe in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable French rules. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is cul-de-lampe, spelled C-U-L---D-E---L-A-M-P-E.
Definition
- 1Encorbellement sur trois assises en forme de cône ou de pyramide renversée.
- 2Ornement de lambris ou de voûte qui a la forme du dessous d’une lampe d’église.
- 3Ornement qui se termine ordinairement en pointe et qui sert à remplir le bas de la page où finit un chapitre, un livre.
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
How do you spell "cul-de-lampe"?
What does "cul-de-lampe" mean?
How do you pronounce "cul-de-lampe"?
What language does "cul-de-lampe" come from?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “cul-de-lampe”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct French spelling is C-U-L---D-E---L-A-M-P-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as \ky.də.lɑ̃p\ (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.