faible

\fɛbl\

/\fɛbl\/ adj

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

The verdict

“faible” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #1,028 in French word frequency and used as an adjective.

#1,028
frequency rank, French
6
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Qui est débile, qui manque de force, de vigueur.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

faible vs file
67% similar
faible vs fail
67% similar
faible vs faire
67% similar

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

Key facts for faible
PropertyValue
Headwordfaible
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdjective
IPA\fɛbl\
Letters6
Frequency rank#1,028
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “faible” 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). faible 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 faible is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \fɛbl\. Corpus data places it at rank #1,028 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for faible, with forms such as "afible", "fabile", and "faibble". 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, "file", "fail", "faire", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, 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 faible, spelled F-A-I-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Qui est débile, qui manque de force, de vigueur.
  2. 2
    Qui est débile, qui manque de force, de vigueur.
  3. 3
    Qui manque de force morale, qui est trop indulgent, trop facile, sans fermeté.
  4. 4
    Qui manque de puissance, de ressources, etc.
  5. 5
    Qui n’a pas assez de grosseur, d’épaisseur, de force, de solidité, etc., en parlant des choses.
  6. 6
    Qui est peu fortifié.
  7. 7
    Qui est peu considérable en son genre sous le rapport de la quantité, de l’étendue, de la valeur, de l’intensité, de l’énergie, etc.
  8. 8
    Il s’emploie souvent avec les prépositions de ou en suivies d’un nom qui caractérise le genre de faiblesse.

This word in other languages

weak(English)débil(Español)schwach(Deutsch)débil(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: afible,fabile,faibble,faibel,faiblle,failbe,ffaible

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of faible - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

afible2fabile2faibble1faibel2faiblle1failbe2ffaible1
Edit distance from "faible"

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 "faible"?
"faible" is spelled F-A-I-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is \fɛbl\.
What does "faible" mean?
As an adjective, "faible" means: Qui est débile, qui manque de force, de vigueur.
What words are commonly confused with "faible"?
"faible" is commonly confused with "file", "fail", "faire". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "faible"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "faible" is \fɛbl\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "faible" come from?
"faible" 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 “faible”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is F-A-I-B-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \fɛbl\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “file” - see the side-by-side comparison. faible vs file
  • 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