curseur

\kyʁ.sœʁ\

/\kyʁ.sœʁ\/ noun

The verdict

“curseur” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #25,272 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#25,272
frequency rank, French
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Barre de réglage de divers instruments (compas, etc.).

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

curseur vs cursus
71% similar
curseur vs curieux
71% similar
curseur vs coureur
71% similar

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

Key facts for curseur
PropertyValue
Headwordcurseur
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\kyʁ.sœʁ\
Letters7
Frequency rank#25,272
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “curseur” 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). curseur lands here:

#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 curseur is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \kyʁ.sœʁ\. Corpus data places it at rank #25,272 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 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 curseur, with forms such as "ccurseur", "cruseur", and "curesur". 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 7 confusable-pair relationships, "cursus", "curieux", "coureur", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

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 curseur, spelled C-U-R-S-E-U-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Barre de réglage de divers instruments (compas, etc.).
  2. 2
    Fil que l’on peut déplacer dans le champ d’un micromètre pour mesurer le diamètre apparent d’un astre.
  3. 3
    Pointeur de souris.
  4. 4
    Barre verticale ou rectangle indiquant la position de la frappe du clavier.
  5. 5
    Objet informatique permettant de parcourir les enregistrements d'une base de données comme un itérateur.
  6. 6
    Référence à un positionnement par rapport à un ensemble de choix, une manière de penser.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccurseur,cruseur,curesur,currseur,curseru,curseurr,cursseur,cursuer,cusreur,ucrseur

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of curseur - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ccurseur1cruseur2curesur2currseur1curseru2curseurr1cursseur1cursuer2
Edit distance from "curseur"

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 "curseur"?
"curseur" is spelled C-U-R-S-E-U-R. The IPA pronunciation is \kyʁ.sœʁ\.
What does "curseur" mean?
As a noun, "curseur" means: Barre de réglage de divers instruments (compas, etc.).
What words are commonly confused with "curseur"?
"curseur" is commonly confused with "cursus", "curieux", "coureur". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "curseur"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "curseur" is \kyʁ.sœʁ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "curseur" come from?
"curseur" 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 “curseur”

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

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