des fois

\dɛ fwa\

/\dɛ fwa\/ adv

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency French
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - (Usage critiqué) référence nécessaire (résoudre le problème) Quelquefois ; parfois.

Key facts for des fois
PropertyValue
Headworddes fois
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdverb
IPA\dɛ fwa\
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “des fois” sits in French frequency

des fois 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 fois is 8 letters long, classified as an adverb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \dɛ fwa\. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Zero misspellings are on record for des fois in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable French patterns. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is des fois, spelled D-E-S- -F-O-I-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    (Usage critiqué) référence nécessaire (résoudre le problème) Quelquefois ; parfois.
  2. 2
    Par hasard ; à tout hasard.

Synonyms

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 "des fois"?
"des fois" is spelled D-E-S- -F-O-I-S. The IPA pronunciation is \dɛ fwa\.
What does "des fois" mean?
As an adverb, "des fois" means: (Usage critiqué) référence nécessaire (résoudre le problème) Quelquefois ; parfois.
How do you pronounce "des fois"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "des fois" is \dɛ fwa\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "des fois" come from?
"des fois" 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 “des fois”

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

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