fer à cheval

\fɛ.ʁ‿a‿ʃ.fal\

/\fɛ.ʁ‿a‿ʃ.fal\/ noun

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

The verdict

“fer à cheval” is outside the top-ranked French vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
12
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Semelle de fer, que l’on cloue sous les sabots des chevaux.

Key facts for fer à cheval
PropertyValue
Headwordfer à cheval
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\fɛ.ʁ‿a‿ʃ.fal\
Letters12
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “fer à cheval” sits in French frequency

fer à cheval falls outside the top-100,000 ranked French words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The French entry for fer à cheval is 12 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \fɛ.ʁ‿a‿ʃ.fal\. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for fer à cheval, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct French form is fer à cheval, spelled F-E-R- -À- -C-H-E-V-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Semelle de fer, que l’on cloue sous les sabots des chevaux.
  2. 2
    Objet plat de cette forme. (En forme de U.)
  3. 3
    Synonyme de rhinolophe (chauve-souris).
  4. 4
    Chez le mâle de la perdrix, tache en forme de fer à cheval qui apparaît au bas de la poitrine.
  5. 5
    Type de piercing en forme de fer à cheval.

Synonyms

fer

This word in other languages

horseshoe(English)herradura(Español)Hufeisen(Deutsch)ferradura(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "fer à cheval"?
"fer à cheval" is spelled F-E-R- -À- -C-H-E-V-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is \fɛ.ʁ‿a‿ʃ.fal\.
What does "fer à cheval" mean?
As a noun, "fer à cheval" means: Semelle de fer, que l’on cloue sous les sabots des chevaux.
How do you pronounce "fer à cheval"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fer à cheval" is \fɛ.ʁ‿a‿ʃ.fal\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "fer à cheval" come from?
"fer à cheval" 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 “fer à cheval”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is F-E-R- -À- -C-H-E-V-A-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \fɛ.ʁ‿a‿ʃ.fal\ (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
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