expect

\ɪk.ˈspɛkt\

/\ɪk.ˈspɛkt\/ verb

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

The verdict

“expect” is uncommon French (frequency #95,889 among 201,161 “E” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#95,889
frequency rank, French
201,161
“E” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Attendre de, s’attendre à, attendre.

Key facts for expect
PropertyValue
Headwordexpect
LanguageFrench
Part of speechVerb
IPA\ɪk.ˈspɛkt\
Letters6
Frequency rank#95,889
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “expect” 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). expect lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

expect is uncommon French at frequency #95,889 among 201,161 “E” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed \ɪk.ˈspɛkt\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Attendre de, s’attendre à, attendre.".

expect has no tracked misspelling variants, a sign its spelling follows regular French conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, 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 expect, spelled E-X-P-E-C-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Attendre de, s’attendre à, attendre.

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 "expect"?
"expect" is spelled E-X-P-E-C-T. The IPA pronunciation is \ɪk.ˈspɛkt\.
What does "expect" mean?
As a verb, "expect" means: Attendre de, s’attendre à, attendre.
How do you pronounce "expect"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "expect" is \ɪk.ˈspɛkt\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "expect" come from?
"expect" 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 “expect”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is E-X-P-E-C-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ɪk.ˈspɛkt\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words

Other uncommon French words near this rank

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