des clous

\dɛ klu\

/\dɛ klu\/ intj

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

The verdict

“des clous” is outside the top-ranked French vocabulary, used as an interjection - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Non ; exprime un refus net.

Key facts for des clous
PropertyValue
Headworddes clous
LanguageFrench
Part of speechInterjection
IPA\dɛ klu\
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “des clous” sits in French frequency

des clous 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.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The French entry for des clous is 9 letters long, classified as an interjection, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \dɛ klu\. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Non ; exprime un refus net.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for des clous, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our dataset records no confusable match here, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

No explicit etymology string is stored 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 des clous, spelled D-E-S- -C-L-O-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Non ; exprime un refus net.

Synonyms

des nèfles

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 "des clous"?
"des clous" is spelled D-E-S- -C-L-O-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is \dɛ klu\.
What does "des clous" mean?
As an interjection, "des clous" means: Non ; exprime un refus net.
How do you pronounce "des clous"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "des clous" is \dɛ klu\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "des clous" come from?
"des clous" 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.

Using “des clous”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is D-E-S- -C-L-O-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \dɛ klu\ (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
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