d’abord

\d‿a.bɔʁ\

/\d‿a.bɔʁ\/ adv

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“d’abord” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adverb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Lors du premier contact.

Corpus desk

Index FR-d-abord · d’abord · French

d’abord · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "D" 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 d’abord
PropertyValue
Headwordd’abord
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdverb
IPA\d‿a.bɔʁ\
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “d’abord” sits in French frequency

d’abord falls outside the top-100,000 ranked French words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

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

Rare enough to double-check

d’abord is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anadverb, transcribed \d‿a.bɔʁ\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 7 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for d’abord in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is d’abord, spelled D-’-A-B-O-R-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Lors du premier contact.
  2. 2
    Au commencement ; premièrement.
  3. 3
    Déjà ; premièrement
  4. 4
    Prioritairement.
  5. 5
    Auparavant.
  6. 6
    Principalement.
  7. 7
    Puisque c’est comme ça.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Jamalou, le concierge, s’apercevant que la voûte se trouvait éclairée, alla se rendre compte du fait et ne vit rien d’abord qui l’étonnât.
  2. D'abord réservées aux scientifiques, les Pyrénées ont ensuite accueilli un tourisme prudent en attendant les pyrénéistes, ivres de conquêtes.

This word in other languages

at first(English)primeramente(Español)zuerst(Deutsch)

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "d’abord"?
"d’abord" is spelled D-’-A-B-O-R-D. The IPA pronunciation is \d‿a.bɔʁ\.
What does "d’abord" mean?
As an adverb, "d’abord" means: Lors du premier contact.
How do you pronounce "d’abord"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "d’abord" is \d‿a.bɔʁ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "d’abord" come from?
"d’abord" 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.

What to do next

You've looked up "d’abord". Here's where to go from here.

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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