dog

\ˈdɔɡ\

/\ˈdɔɡ\/ noun

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

The verdict

“dog” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #11,950 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#11,950
frequency rank, French
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Chien (animal), pitou, animal de l'espèce Canis familiaris ou Canis lupus familiaris qui a été domestiqué il y a plusieurs milliers d'années et d’apparence variable du fait de la sélection humaine.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

dog vs du
33% similar
dog vs dr
33% similar
dog vs Ds
0% similar

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

Key facts for dog
PropertyValue
Headworddog
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ˈdɔɡ\
Letters3
Frequency rank#11,950
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dog” 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). dog 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 dog is 3 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ˈdɔɡ\. Corpus data places it at rank #11,950 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 21 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No misspelling variants are generated for dog in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable French patterns. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "du", "dr", "Ds", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is dog, spelled D-O-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    Chien (animal), pitou, animal de l'espèce Canis familiaris ou Canis lupus familiaris qui a été domestiqué il y a plusieurs milliers d'années et d’apparence variable du fait de la sélection humaine.
  2. 2
    Canidé ; tout membre de la famille des Canidae, dont les chiens domestiques, les loups, les coyotes, les chacals, les renards et les espèces liées vivantes ou éteintes.
  3. 3
    Chien mâle, loup ou renard, par opposition à une chienne, louve ou une renarde.
  4. 4
    Laideron, cageot (en parlant d'une femme).
  5. 5
    Mec, gars, homme.
  6. 6
    Couard, lâche.
  7. 7
    Quelqu'un de moralement répréhensible.
  8. 8
    Homme sexuellement agressif.
  9. 9
    Tout dispositif mécanique permettant de tenir, saisir ou fixer quelque chose, en particulier quelque chose en forme de dent (de scie, etc.).
  10. 10
    Élément adapté pour s’engager dans les dents d'une roue à rochet, afin d’empêcher un retour.
  11. 11
    Support métallique pour les bûches dans une cheminée. Chenet
  12. 12
    Dix-huitième carte des cartes de type Lenormand.
  13. 13
    Outsider, compétiteur ayant peu de chance de gagner.
  14. 14
    Pied.
  15. 15
    :Modèle:cockney rhyming slang Téléphone fixe ou portable.
  16. 16
    Un des cônes utilisés pour diviser le champ de course lors de l'entraînement des chevaux.
  17. 17
    Abréviation de dog meat.
  18. 18
    Saucisse.
  19. 19
    Hot dog.
  20. 20
    Bide.
  21. 21
    Navet, bide, four (en parlant d'un film, d'un livre, etc.).

Synonyms

poochblokechapfellowguy

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 "dog"?
"dog" is spelled D-O-G. The IPA pronunciation is \ˈdɔɡ\.
What does "dog" mean?
As a noun, "dog" means: Chien (animal), pitou, animal de l'espèce Canis familiaris ou Canis lupus familiaris qui a été domestiqué il y a plusieurs milliers d'années et d’apparence variable du fait de la sélection humaine.
What words are commonly confused with "dog"?
"dog" is commonly confused with "du", "dr", "Ds". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dog"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dog" is \ˈdɔɡ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "dog" come from?
"dog" 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.

Using “dog”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is D-O-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ˈdɔɡ\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “du” - see the side-by-side comparison. dog vs du
  • 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