élément

\e.le.mɑ̃\

/\e.le.mɑ̃\/ noun

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

The verdict

“élément” has 11 generated spelling variants in the French index at frequency #2,207. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,207
frequency rank, French
1,805
“É” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Partie unitaire d’un ensemble.

Corpus desk

Index FR-element · élément · French

élément · rank #2,207 · 11 variants · 8 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,207
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 8 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,805
  • PHOTO-FINISH vive

Nearest frequency peer: vive (-1 rank slots)

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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “élément”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “élément” sits against the nearest ranked French headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

élément vs eleven
43% similar
élément vs élèvent
71% similar
élément vs élevant
57% similar

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

Key facts for élément
PropertyValue
Headwordélément
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\e.le.mɑ̃\
Letters7
Frequency rank#2,207
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “élément” 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).élément lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around élément (IPA \e.le.mɑ̃\), anoun. Corpus frequency is #2,207 among 1,805 “É” headwords. Wiktionary lists 12 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for élément, with forms such as "element", "léément", and "éllément". 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 8 confusable-pair relationships, "eleven", "élèvent", "élevant", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

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 élément, spelled É-L-É-M-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Partie unitaire d’un ensemble.
  2. 2
    Objet mathématique.
  3. 3
    Catégorie immatérielle rassemblant les atomes possédant le même nombre de protons; représentée par un symbole chimique elle est caractérisée par un numéro atomique et une masse atomique.
  4. 4
    Une des substances composées ou simples qui constituent un corps.
  5. 5
    Un des couples de plaques de zinc et de cuivre ou d’un autre métal, dont on se sert pour construire les piles voltaïques dites à auges.
  6. 6
    Toute chose qui entre dans la composition d’une autre, qui contribue à la former.
  7. 7
    Élément primordial, une des 4 ou 5 substances (généralement l’air, le feu, la terre et l’eau) que l’on croyait simples, parce qu’on ne savait pas les décomposer, et que l’on supposait être les principes constituants de la matière.
  8. 8
    Les diverses conditions de sol, de climat, de saison.
  9. 9
    Milieu dans lequel vit et se meut un être animé, un organisme.
  10. 10
    Contexte ou activité dans laquelle une personne se sent à l’aise et s’épanouit.
  11. 11
    Principes d’un art ou d’une science.
  12. 12
    Rudiment.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. L’écorce de chêne, employée pour le tannage des cuirs, est un élément important de la richesse forestière du département.
  2. Entre les deux camps se trouve le souk avec tous les éléments d’un marché indigène : marchands, conteurs d’histoires, jongleurs, charmeurs de serpents, danseuses, etc.

Synonyms

élément chimique

This word in other languages

element(English)elemento(Español)Element(Deutsch)elemento(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • element
  • léément
  • éllément
  • élméent
  • éléemnt
  • élémennt
  • élémentt
  • élémetn
  • élémment
  • élémnet
  • éélment

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of élément - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

element2léément2éllément1élméent2éléemnt2élémennt1élémentt1élémetn2
Edit distance from "élément"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "élément"?
"élément" is spelled É-L-É-M-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is \e.le.mɑ̃\.
What does "élément" mean?
As a noun, "élément" means: Partie unitaire d’un ensemble.
What words are commonly confused with "élément"?
"élément" is commonly confused with "eleven", "élèvent", "élevant". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "élément"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "élément" is \e.le.mɑ̃\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "élément" come from?
"élément" 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.

Similar French words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "élément", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked French headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

attendu#2,215composé#2,219recours#2,195pensent#2,190

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

parfaite11 variantslégende11 variantsnaturelle11 variantsconduite11 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "élément". Here's where to go from here.

  • "élément" maps to 8 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "eleven". View pair
  • 11 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #2,207 among French headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more French words in the "É" letter cohort. É–Z browse

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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