explosif

\ɛks.plo.zif\

/\ɛks.plo.zif\/ adj

The verdict

“explosif” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #12,378 in French word frequency and used as an adjective.

#12,378
frequency rank, French
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Qui est relatif à l’explosion.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

explosif vs explosion
78% similar
explosif vs explosifs
89% similar
explosif vs explosive
78% similar

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

Key facts for explosif
PropertyValue
Headwordexplosif
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdjective
IPA\ɛks.plo.zif\
Letters8
Frequency rank#12,378
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “explosif” 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). explosif 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 explosif is 8 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ɛks.plo.zif\. Corpus data places it at rank #12,378 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 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 explosif, with forms such as "epxlosif", "exlposif", and "expllosif". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 7 confusable-pair relationships, "explosion", "explosifs", "explosive", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, 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 explosif, spelled E-X-P-L-O-S-I-F.

Definition

  1. 1
    Qui est relatif à l’explosion.
  2. 2
    Qui produit l’explosion → voir explosible.
  3. 3
    Dont le son est une sorte de petite explosion → voir plosive.
  4. 4
    Qui produit des gaz.
  5. 5
    Sensationnel.
  6. 6
    Qui peut provoquer des réactions agressives.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: epxlosif,exlposif,expllosif,exploisf,explosfi,explosiff,explossif,explsoif,expolsif,expplosif,exxplosif,xeplosif

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

epxlosif2exlposif2expllosif1exploisf2explosfi2explosiff1explossif1explsoif2
Edit distance from "explosif"

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 "explosif"?
"explosif" is spelled E-X-P-L-O-S-I-F. The IPA pronunciation is \ɛks.plo.zif\.
What does "explosif" mean?
As an adjective, "explosif" means: Qui est relatif à l’explosion.
What words are commonly confused with "explosif"?
"explosif" is commonly confused with "explosion", "explosifs", "explosive". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "explosif"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "explosif" is \ɛks.plo.zif\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "explosif" come from?
"explosif" 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 “explosif”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is E-X-P-L-O-S-I-F - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ɛks.plo.zif\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “explosion” - see the side-by-side comparison. explosif vs explosion
  • 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