description

\dɛs.kʁip.sjɔ̃\

/\dɛs.kʁip.sjɔ̃\/ noun

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

The verdict

“description” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #1,909 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,909
frequency rank, French
11
letters
17
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Action de décrire, développement par lequel on décrit, on dépeint ; résultat de cette action.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

description vs descriptive
82% similar
description vs descriptions
92% similar
description vs descriptif
82% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for description
PropertyValue
Headworddescription
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\dɛs.kʁip.sjɔ̃\
Letters11
Frequency rank#1,909
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “description” 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). description lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The French entry for description is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \dɛs.kʁip.sjɔ̃\. Corpus data places it at rank #1,909 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for description, with forms such as "ddescription", "decsription", and "desccription". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "descriptive", "descriptions", "descriptif", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct French form is description, spelled D-E-S-C-R-I-P-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Action de décrire, développement par lequel on décrit, on dépeint ; résultat de cette action.
  2. 2
    Inventaire qui indique le nombre et la qualité des meubles, papiers, etc., qui se trouvent dans une maison.
  3. 3
    Livre qui fait connaître l’état présent d’une région, d’un pays, d’une partie du monde.
  4. 4
    Définition imparfaite.
  5. 5
    Action de décrire, de tracer une ligne, une surface.

This word in other languages

description(English)descripción(Español)Beschreibung(Deutsch)descrição(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddescription,decsription,desccription,descirption,descripiton,descripption,descriptino,descriptionn,descriptoin,descripttion,descritpion,descrpition,descrription,desrciption,desscription,dsecription,edscription

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of description - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ddescription1decsription2desccription1descirption2descripiton2descripption1descriptino2descriptionn1
Edit distance from "description"

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 "description"?
"description" is spelled D-E-S-C-R-I-P-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is \dɛs.kʁip.sjɔ̃\.
What does "description" mean?
As a noun, "description" means: Action de décrire, développement par lequel on décrit, on dépeint ; résultat de cette action.
What words are commonly confused with "description"?
"description" is commonly confused with "descriptive", "descriptions", "descriptif". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "description"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "description" is \dɛs.kʁip.sjɔ̃\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "description" come from?
"description" 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 “description”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is D-E-S-C-R-I-P-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \dɛs.kʁip.sjɔ̃\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “descriptive” - see the side-by-side comparison. description vs descriptive
  • 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