Eiffel

\ɛ.fɛl\

/\ɛ.fɛl\/ name

The verdict

“Eiffel” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #9,822 in French word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#9,822
frequency rank, French
6
letters
6
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Nom de famille.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Eiffel vs effet
50% similar

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

Key facts for Eiffel
PropertyValue
HeadwordEiffel
LanguageFrench
Part of speechProper noun
IPA\ɛ.fɛl\
Letters6
Frequency rank#9,822
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Eiffel” 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). Eiffel 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 Eiffel is 6 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ɛ.fɛl\. Corpus data places it at rank #9,822 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Nom de famille.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for Eiffel, with forms such as "efifel", "eifefl", and "eifel". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "effet", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is Eiffel, spelled E-I-F-F-E-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Nom de famille.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: efifel,eifefl,eifel,eiffell,eiffle,ieffel

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

efifel2eifefl2eifel1eiffell1eiffle2ieffel2
Edit distance from "Eiffel"

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 "Eiffel"?
"Eiffel" is spelled E-I-F-F-E-L. The IPA pronunciation is \ɛ.fɛl\.
What does "Eiffel" mean?
As a proper noun, "Eiffel" means: Nom de famille.
What words are commonly confused with "Eiffel"?
"Eiffel" is commonly confused with "effet". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Eiffel"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Eiffel" is \ɛ.fɛl\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Eiffel" come from?
"Eiffel" 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 “Eiffel”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is E-I-F-F-E-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ɛ.fɛl\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “effet” - see the side-by-side comparison. Eiffel vs effet
  • 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