cuticule

\ky.ti.kyl\

/\ky.ti.kyl\/ noun

The verdict

“cuticule” is uncommon French (frequency #54,512 among 257,141 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#54,512
frequency rank, French
257,141
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Petite peau très mince, pellicule, épiderme.

Key facts for cuticule
PropertyValue
Headwordcuticule
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ky.ti.kyl\
Letters8
Frequency rank#54,512
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cuticule” 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). cuticule lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

cuticule is uncommon French at frequency #54,512 among 257,141 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed \ky.ti.kyl\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for cuticule in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular French conventions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is cuticule, spelled C-U-T-I-C-U-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Petite peau très mince, pellicule, épiderme.
  2. 2
    Pellicule vernissée formée de cutine qui revêt les tiges et les feuilles des plantes, lui donne un aspect brillant et un caractère hydrophobe.
  3. 3
    Peau qui recouvre le chapeau des champignons supérieurs et qui peut souvent être pelée sans difficulté. Note : Selon le mycologue Régis Courtecuisse, ce terme est impropre et devrait être réservé à la surface vernissée de certains polypores. Cependant, ce terme reste couramment utilisé dans son sens général par les mycologues Guillaume Eyssartier et Pierre Roux.

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); 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 "cuticule"?
"cuticule" is spelled C-U-T-I-C-U-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is \ky.ti.kyl\.
What does "cuticule" mean?
As a noun, "cuticule" means: Petite peau très mince, pellicule, épiderme.
How do you pronounce "cuticule"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cuticule" is \ky.ti.kyl\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "cuticule" come from?
"cuticule" 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 “cuticule”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is C-U-T-I-C-U-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ky.ti.kyl\ (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

Other uncommon French words near this rank

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