en aval
\ɑ̃.n‿a.val\
The verdict
“en aval” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adverb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency French
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Plus bas, en descendant un cours d’eau dans le sens du courant.
Corpus desk
Index FR-en-aval · en aval · French
en aval · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 7 letters
- VOW-3 3 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "E" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
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.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | en aval |
| Language | French |
| Part of speech | Adverb |
| IPA | \ɑ̃.n‿a.val\ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Longue queue: rang de « en aval » en français
Rare enough to double-check
en aval is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anadverb, transcribed \ɑ̃.n‿a.val\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for en aval, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is en aval, spelled E-N- -A-V-A-L.
Definition
- 1Plus bas, en descendant un cours d’eau dans le sens du courant.
- 2Plus bas dans tout autre enchaînement (hiérarchie, circulation, chronologie, causalité...).
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how en aval appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
C'est une obligation, tous les dix ans, les déversoirs installés sur la Loire et situés en aval des centrales nucléaires sont vérifiés.
À ses côtés deux jeunes l’aident à récupérer les carpes encore vivantes qui jonchent le chenal en aval de la digue.
Antonyms
This word in other languages
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.