enfermer

\ɑ̃.fɛʁ.me\

/\ɑ̃.fɛʁ.me\/ verb

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

The verdict

“enfermer” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #9,651 in French word frequency and used as a verb.

#9,651
frequency rank, French
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Mettre quelqu’un ou quelque chose dans un lieu fermé de tous côtés.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

enfermer vs enterrer
75% similar
enfermer vs énerver
63% similar
enfermer vs enferme
88% similar

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

Key facts for enfermer
PropertyValue
Headwordenfermer
LanguageFrench
Part of speechVerb
IPA\ɑ̃.fɛʁ.me\
Letters8
Frequency rank#9,651
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “enfermer” 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). enfermer 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 enfermer is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ɑ̃.fɛʁ.me\. Corpus data places it at rank #9,651 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for enfermer, with forms such as "efnermer", "enefrmer", and "enfemrer". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "enterrer", "énerver", "enferme", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is enfermer, spelled E-N-F-E-R-M-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Mettre quelqu’un ou quelque chose dans un lieu fermé de tous côtés.
  2. 2
    Mettre quelqu’un dans un asile psychiatrique, dans une prison, dans un couvent, etc.
  3. 3
    Serrer, mettre une chose dans un lieu, dans un meuble, que l’on ferme, pour la mieux conserver, pour la soustraire aux regards, pour la garder plus sûrement.
  4. 4
    Environner de toutes parts.
  5. 5
    Contenir ; comprendre.
  6. 6
    Contenir en soi-même.
  7. 7
    Se retirer dans un lieu qu’on ferme ensuite, pour que personne ne puisse s’y introduire.
  8. 8
    Demeurer dans une place qui va être assiégée et qu’on veut défendre.
  9. 9
    Se faire religieux ou religieuse dans un cloître.

Synonyms

emprisonnerincarcérerséquestrersceller

Antonyms

enfermer dehorsexfermerdélivrerlibérerrelâcher

This word in other languages

lock up(English)encerrar(Español)einschließen(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: efnermer,enefrmer,enfemrer,enferemr,enfermerr,enfermmer,enfermre,enferrmer,enffermer,enfremer,ennfermer,nefermer

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

efnermer2enefrmer2enfemrer2enferemr2enfermerr1enfermmer1enfermre2enferrmer1
Edit distance from "enfermer"

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 "enfermer"?
"enfermer" is spelled E-N-F-E-R-M-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is \ɑ̃.fɛʁ.me\.
What does "enfermer" mean?
As a verb, "enfermer" means: Mettre quelqu’un ou quelque chose dans un lieu fermé de tous côtés.
What words are commonly confused with "enfermer"?
"enfermer" is commonly confused with "enterrer", "énerver", "enferme". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "enfermer"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "enfermer" is \ɑ̃.fɛʁ.me\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "enfermer" come from?
"enfermer" 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 “enfermer”

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

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