épine

\e.pin\

/\e.pin\/ noun

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

The verdict

“épine” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #20,328 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#20,328
frequency rank, French
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Branche, feuille, stipule ou partie de feuille transformée en un organe allongé et piquant ; par opposition à l’aiguillon.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

épine vs épis
60% similar
épine vs exige
40% similar
épine vs évite
60% similar

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

Key facts for épine
PropertyValue
Headwordépine
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\e.pin\
Letters5
Frequency rank#20,328
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “épine” 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). épine 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 épine is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \e.pin\. Corpus data places it at rank #20,328 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 12 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for épine, with forms such as "péine", "éipne", and "épien". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "épis", "exige", "évite", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct French form is épine, spelled É-P-I-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Branche, feuille, stipule ou partie de feuille transformée en un organe allongé et piquant ; par opposition à l’aiguillon.
  2. 2
    Piquant que l’on trouve sur une plante indifféremment de son origine tissulaire.
  3. 3
    Espèce d’arbre ou d’arbrisseau dont les branches ont des piquants.
  4. 4
    Espèce d’arbre ou d’arbrisseau dont les branches ont des piquants.
  5. 5
    Difficultés ; choses qui donnent beaucoup de peine ou qui sont désagréables, fâcheuses.
  6. 6
    Excroissance pointue.
  7. 7
    Piquants de certains poissons.
  8. 8
    Arête de poisson.
  9. 9
    Meuble d’écu représentant un buisson épineux.
  10. 10
    Pointe qui hérisse les cuivres après avoir subi les opérations de ressuage et de liquation.
  11. 11
    Robinet situé en bas d’une cuve.
  12. 12
    Non vulgaire de certains animaux portant des piquants ou ayant une forme pointue

This word in other languages

thorn(English)espina(Español)Dorn(Deutsch)espinho(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: péine,éipne,épien,épinne,épnie,éppine

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

péine2éipne2épien2épinne1épnie2éppine1
Edit distance from "épine"

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 "épine"?
"épine" is spelled É-P-I-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is \e.pin\.
What does "épine" mean?
As a noun, "épine" means: Branche, feuille, stipule ou partie de feuille transformée en un organe allongé et piquant ; par opposition à l’aiguillon.
What words are commonly confused with "épine"?
"épine" is commonly confused with "épis", "exige", "évite". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "épine"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "épine" is \e.pin\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "épine" come from?
"épine" is a French word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “épine”

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

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