cycle

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

\sikl\

/\sikl\/ noun

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

The verdict

“cycle” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #2,917 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,917
frequency rank, French: 5
letters: 8
tracked misspellings: 20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Révolution astronomique.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

cycle vs cygne

60% similar

cycle vs cyclo

80% similar

cycle vs cycles

83% similar

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

Key facts for cycle
Property	Value
Headword	cycle
Language	French
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	\sikl\
Letters	5
Frequency rank	#2,917
Misspellings tracked	8
Confusable pairs	20
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cycle” 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). cycle lands here:

#2,917

#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 cycle is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \sikl\. Corpus data places it at rank #2,917 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 14 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for cycle, with forms such as "ccycle", "ccyle", and "cyccle". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "cygne", "cyclo", "cycles", 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, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is cycle, spelled C-Y-C-L-E.

Definition

1
Révolution astronomique.
2
Période de temps correspondant à cette révolution.
3
Période de temps de longueur variable.
4
Période de temps entre deux générations d’animaux ou de végétaux.
5
Itération, retour à une instruction déjà exécutée, répétition d’une commande.
6
Représentation virtuelle d’une chaine carbonée qui serait reliée à ses extrémités.
7
Suite de phénomènes qui se suivent dans un ordre déterminé.
8
Suite d'arêtes consécutives (chaine) dont les deux sommets extrémités sont identiques dans un graphe non orienté.
9
Pour un courant alternatif, période séparant un maximum de tension d’un minimum. Le nombre de cycles par seconde correspond à sa fréquence.
10
Ensemble de textes qui se rapporte à un même sujet.
11
Ensemble de textes qui se rapporte à un même sujet.
12
Suite d’arc dont les deux extrémités sont le même sommet.
13
Cycle d’orientation.
14
Contraction de cycle menstruel.

This word in other languages

cycle(English)Zyklus(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccycle,ccyle,cyccle,cycel,cyclle,cylce,cyycle,yccle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of cycle - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

Edit distance from "cycle"

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 "cycle"?

"cycle" is spelled C-Y-C-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is \sikl\.

What does "cycle" mean?

As a noun, "cycle" means: Révolution astronomique.

What words are commonly confused with "cycle"?

"cycle" is commonly confused with "cygne", "cyclo", "cycles". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "cycle"?

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

What language does "cycle" come from?

"cycle" 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 “cycle”

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

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