described

\dəˈskɹaɪbd\

/\dəˈskɹaɪbd\/ verb

The verdict

“described” is uncommon French (frequency #97,852 among 404,891 “D” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#97,852
frequency rank, French
404,891
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Prétérit du verbe to describe.

Key facts for described
PropertyValue
Headworddescribed
LanguageFrench
Part of speechVerb
IPA\dəˈskɹaɪbd\
Letters9
Frequency rank#97,852
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “described” 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). described lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

described is uncommon French at frequency #97,852 among 404,891 “D” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed \dəˈskɹaɪbd\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for described in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular French conventions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is described, spelled D-E-S-C-R-I-B-E-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Prétérit du verbe to describe.
  2. 2
    Participe passé du verbe to describe.

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 "described"?
"described" is spelled D-E-S-C-R-I-B-E-D. The IPA pronunciation is \dəˈskɹaɪbd\.
What does "described" mean?
As a verb, "described" means: Prétérit du verbe to describe.
How do you pronounce "described"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "described" is \dəˈskɹaɪbd\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "described" come from?
"described" 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 “described”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is D-E-S-C-R-I-B-E-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \dəˈskɹaɪbd\ (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

Other uncommon French words near this rank

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