échec et mat

\e.ʃɛ.k‿e mat\

/\e.ʃɛ.k‿e mat\/ noun

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

The verdict

“échec et mat” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
12
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Position dans laquelle le roi est en situation d'échec imparable et qui marque la fin de la partie.

Key facts for échec et mat
PropertyValue
Headwordéchec et mat
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\e.ʃɛ.k‿e mat\
Letters12
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “échec et mat” sits in French frequency

échec et mat falls outside the top-100,000 ranked French words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

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

Rare enough to double-check

échec et mat is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed \e.ʃɛ.k‿e mat\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Position dans laquelle le roi est en situation d'échec imparable et qui marque la fin de la partie.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for échec et mat, suggesting the orthography follows predictable French patterns. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is échec et mat, spelled É-C-H-E-C- -E-T- -M-A-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Position dans laquelle le roi est en situation d'échec imparable et qui marque la fin de la partie.

Synonyms

mat

This word in other languages

checkmate(English)jaque mate(Español)Schachmatt(Deutsch)

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 "échec et mat"?
"échec et mat" is spelled É-C-H-E-C- -E-T- -M-A-T. The IPA pronunciation is \e.ʃɛ.k‿e mat\.
What does "échec et mat" mean?
As a noun, "échec et mat" means: Position dans laquelle le roi est en situation d'échec imparable et qui marque la fin de la partie.
How do you pronounce "échec et mat"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "échec et mat" is \e.ʃɛ.k‿e mat\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "échec et mat" come from?
"échec et mat" 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 “échec et mat”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is É-C-H-E-C- -E-T- -M-A-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \e.ʃɛ.k‿e mat\ (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
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