despicable

\dɪˈspɪk.ə.bəl\

/\dɪˈspɪk.ə.bəl\/ adj

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency French
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Méprisable.

Corpus desk

Index FR-despicable · despicable · French

despicable · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 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 despicable
PropertyValue
Headworddespicable
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdjective
IPA\dɪˈspɪk.ə.bəl\
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Longue queue: rang de « despicable » en français

despicablen'entre pas dans le top 100.000 du français: zone de termes techniques, archaïques ou rares.

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

Rare enough to double-check

despicable is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed \dɪˈspɪk.ə.bəl\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Méprisable.".

despicable doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular French conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct French form is despicable, spelled D-E-S-P-I-C-A-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Méprisable.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. But this creature is despicable by nature, and incapable of any trace of all generous and noble deeds.

Synonyms

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 "despicable"?
"despicable" is spelled D-E-S-P-I-C-A-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is \dɪˈspɪk.ə.bəl\.
What does "despicable" mean?
As an adjective, "despicable" means: Méprisable.
How do you pronounce "despicable"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "despicable" is \dɪˈspɪk.ə.bəl\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "despicable" come from?
"despicable" 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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list