cyclo-cross

\si.klɔ.kʁɔs\

/\si.klɔ.kʁɔs\/ noun

The verdict

“cyclo-cross” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Discipline cycliste qui se pratique sur un circuit composé de chemins, de prairies, de talus, etc.

Corpus desk

Index FR-cyclo-cross · cyclo-cross · French

cyclo-cross · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "C" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for cyclo-cross
PropertyValue
Headwordcyclo-cross
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\si.klɔ.kʁɔs\
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Longue queue: rang de « cyclo-cross » en français

cyclo-crossreste hors des 100.000 mots français les plus fréquents, dans la longue queue du vocabulaire technique, archaïque ou rare, là où le doute d'orthographe frappe.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

cyclo-cross is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed \si.klɔ.kʁɔs\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

cyclo-cross has no tracked misspelling variants, a sign its spelling follows regular French conventions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, 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 any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct French form is cyclo-cross, spelled C-Y-C-L-O---C-R-O-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Discipline cycliste qui se pratique sur un circuit composé de chemins, de prairies, de talus, etc.
  2. 2
    Épreuve ou chalenge sportifs de cette discipline.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how cyclo-cross appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Si la plupart des pratiquants s’adonnent au cyclisme sur route, il ne faut pas oublier que ce sport c’est aussi la piste, le cyclo-cross, le VTT et d’autres activités comme le cyclisme artistique et le BMX dont la logique interne est très différente.
  2. Puis en hiver, assure Jonas Heyerick, « quand le duel entre Van Aert et Van der Poel en cyclo-cross fait remonter la température ».

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 "cyclo-cross"?
"cyclo-cross" is spelled C-Y-C-L-O---C-R-O-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is \si.klɔ.kʁɔs\.
What does "cyclo-cross" mean?
As a noun, "cyclo-cross" means: Discipline cycliste qui se pratique sur un circuit composé de chemins, de prairies, de talus, etc.
How do you pronounce "cyclo-cross"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cyclo-cross" is \si.klɔ.kʁɔs\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "cyclo-cross" come from?
"cyclo-cross" is a French word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list