figure de proue
\fi.ɡyʁ də pʁu\
The verdict
“figure de proue” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency French
- 15
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Sculpture de forme humaine, animale ou fantastique qui ornait la proue d’un navire.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | figure de proue |
| Language | French |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | \fi.ɡyʁ də pʁu\ |
| Letters | 15 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “figure de proue” sits in French frequency
Rare enough to double-check
figure de proue is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed \fi.ɡyʁ də pʁu\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for figure de proue, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct French form is figure de proue, spelled F-I-G-U-R-E- -D-E- -P-R-O-U-E.
Definition
- 1Sculpture de forme humaine, animale ou fantastique qui ornait la proue d’un navire.
- 2Membre emblématique d’un groupe, celui qui est le plus en vue, chef de file d’un mouvement, d’un courant de pensée.
This word in other languages
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
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Using “figure de proue”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct French spelling is F-I-G-U-R-E- -D-E- -P-R-O-U-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as \fi.ɡyʁ də pʁu\ (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.