enclume

\ɑ̃.klym\

/\ɑ̃.klym\/ noun

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

The verdict

“enclume” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #37,790 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#37,790
frequency rank, French
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
9
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Masse de fer, ordinairement portée par un bloc de bois, sur laquelle on bat le fer, l’argent et les autres métaux, pour leur donner une certaine forme, ou pour les écrouir.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

enclume vs enculé
57% similar
enclume vs exclue
71% similar
enclume vs exclure
71% similar

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

Key facts for enclume
PropertyValue
Headwordenclume
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ɑ̃.klym\
Letters7
Frequency rank#37,790
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs9
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “enclume” 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). enclume 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 enclume is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ɑ̃.klym\. Corpus data places it at rank #37,790 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for enclume, with forms such as "ecnlume", "encclume", and "encllume". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 9 confusable-pair relationships, "enculé", "exclue", "exclure", and more, 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 any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct French form is enclume, spelled E-N-C-L-U-M-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Masse de fer, ordinairement portée par un bloc de bois, sur laquelle on bat le fer, l’argent et les autres métaux, pour leur donner une certaine forme, ou pour les écrouir.
  2. 2
    Outil de fer plat dont se servent les couvreurs pour tailler les ardoises et de Celui dont on se sert pour façonner des ferrets.
  3. 3
    Petite pièce métallique qui dans une cartouche se trouve entre l’amorce et la poudre.
  4. 4
    Osselet de l’oreille moyenne qui a une certaine ressemblance avec une enclume.
  5. 5
    Personne ne sachant pas nager.
  6. 6
    Personne à la compréhension limitée ou lente.
  7. 7
    Partie supérieure d’un cumulonimbus (incus).
  8. 8
    Position sexuelle où le partenaire réceptif est allongé sur le dos, ses jambes le séparant de son partenaire qui lui fait face, ses pieds ou talons sur les épaules de ce dernier.
  9. 9
    Meuble représentant l’outil de forge du même nom dans les armoiries. Elle est généralement représentée de profil.

This word in other languages

anvil(English)yunque(Español)Amboss(Deutsch)bigorna(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ecnlume,encclume,encllume,enclmue,encluem,enclumme,enculme,enlcume,ennclume,neclume

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ecnlume2encclume1encllume1enclmue2encluem2enclumme1enculme2enlcume2
Edit distance from "enclume"

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 "enclume"?
"enclume" is spelled E-N-C-L-U-M-E. The IPA pronunciation is \ɑ̃.klym\.
What does "enclume" mean?
As a noun, "enclume" means: Masse de fer, ordinairement portée par un bloc de bois, sur laquelle on bat le fer, l’argent et les autres métaux, pour leur donner une certaine forme, ou pour les écrouir.
What words are commonly confused with "enclume"?
"enclume" is commonly confused with "enculé", "exclue", "exclure". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "enclume"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "enclume" is \ɑ̃.klym\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "enclume" come from?
"enclume" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “enclume”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is E-N-C-L-U-M-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ɑ̃.klym\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “enculé” - see the side-by-side comparison. enclume vs enculé
  • 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