cuve

\kyv\

/\kyv\/ noun

The verdict

“cuve” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #14,006 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#14,006
frequency rank, French
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Grand récipient de bois, de métal ou de maçonnerie dont on se sert ordinairement pour fouler la vendange ou pour y laisser fermenter le vin nouveau avec la grappe, pour faire de la bière et pour di...

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

cuve vs CV
0% similar
cuve vs cuves
80% similar
cuve vs cuvée
80% similar

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

Key facts for cuve
PropertyValue
Headwordcuve
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\kyv\
Letters4
Frequency rank#14,006
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cuve” 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). cuve 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 cuve is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \kyv\. Corpus data places it at rank #14,006 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for cuve, with forms such as "ccuve", "cuev", and "cuvve". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "CV", "cuves", "cuvée", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct French form is cuve, spelled C-U-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Grand récipient de bois, de métal ou de maçonnerie dont on se sert ordinairement pour fouler la vendange ou pour y laisser fermenter le vin nouveau avec la grappe, pour faire de la bière et pour divers autres usages.
  2. 2
    Récipient en toute sorte de matière et pour divers usages.
  3. 3
    Chaudron.
  4. 4
    Évier.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccuve,cuev,cuvve,cvue,ucve

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccuve1cuev2cuvve1cvue2ucve2
Edit distance from "cuve"

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 "cuve"?
"cuve" is spelled C-U-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is \kyv\.
What does "cuve" mean?
As a noun, "cuve" means: Grand récipient de bois, de métal ou de maçonnerie dont on se sert ordinairement pour fouler la vendange ou pour y laisser fermenter le vin nouveau avec la grappe, pour faire de la bière et pour di...
What words are commonly confused with "cuve"?
"cuve" is commonly confused with "CV", "cuves", "cuvée". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cuve"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cuve" is \kyv\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "cuve" come from?
"cuve" 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 “cuve”

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

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