dossier

\do.sje\

/\do.sje\/ noun

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

The verdict

“dossier” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #1,179 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,179
frequency rank, French
7
letters
8
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Partie d’un siège contre laquelle on pose le dos.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

dossier vs dossiers
88% similar
dossier vs doser
71% similar
dossier vs dessiner
75% similar

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

Key facts for dossier
PropertyValue
Headworddossier
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\do.sje\
Letters7
Frequency rank#1,179
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dossier” 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). dossier 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 dossier is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \do.sje\. Corpus data places it at rank #1,179 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for dossier, with forms such as "ddossier", "dosier", and "dosiser". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "dossiers", "doser", "dessiner", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct French form is dossier, spelled D-O-S-S-I-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Partie d’un siège contre laquelle on pose le dos.
  2. 2
    Assemblage de documents regroupés dans un but déterminé. (Une liasse de papiers étiquetée au dos)
  3. 3
    Pièces d’un procès ou d’archives.
  4. 4
    Ensemble de pièces concernant telle ou telle personne.
  5. 5
    Répertoire, emplacement virtuel dans lequel peuvent se trouver d’autres dossiers ou des fichiers informatiques d’un système de fichier en arborescence.
  6. 6
    Anecdote embarrassante concernant une personne.
  7. 7
    Sur un wagon couvert de chemin de fer, partie étroite de la caisse positionnée du côté des attelages, reliant le châssis au toit.

Synonyms

cartonsfichierrépertoire

This word in other languages

backrest(English)respaldo(Español)Lehne(Deutsch)encosto(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddossier,dosier,dosiser,dosseir,dossierr,dossire,dsosier,odssier

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of dossier - 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.

ddossier1dosier1dosiser2dosseir2dossierr1dossire2dsosier2odssier2
Edit distance from "dossier"

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 "dossier"?
"dossier" is spelled D-O-S-S-I-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is \do.sje\.
What does "dossier" mean?
As a noun, "dossier" means: Partie d’un siège contre laquelle on pose le dos.
What words are commonly confused with "dossier"?
"dossier" is commonly confused with "dossiers", "doser", "dessiner". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dossier"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dossier" is \do.sje\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "dossier" come from?
"dossier" 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 “dossier”

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

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