fin

\fɛ̃\

/\fɛ̃\/ noun

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

The verdict

“fin” is in the everyday core of French, ranked #168 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#168
frequency rank, French
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Ce qui termine une chose, en marque la limite, en est l'extrémité.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

fin vs FN
0% similar
fin vs fo
33% similar
fin vs fm
33% similar

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

Key facts for fin
PropertyValue
Headwordfin
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\fɛ̃\
Letters3
Frequency rank#168
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “fin” 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). fin 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 fin is 3 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \fɛ̃\. Corpus data places it at rank #168 in overall French word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

fin doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "FN", "fo", "fm", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is fin, spelled F-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Ce qui termine une chose, en marque la limite, en est l'extrémité.
  2. 2
    Terme, point ultime de ce qui a une durée, une étendue.
  3. 3
    Cessation, interruption ; moment où quelque chose s'achève.
  4. 4
    Mort.
  5. 5
    Objectif ; finalité.

This word in other languages

end(English)fin(Español)Ende(Deutsch)fim(Português)

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 "fin"?
"fin" is spelled F-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is \fɛ̃\.
What does "fin" mean?
As a noun, "fin" means: Ce qui termine une chose, en marque la limite, en est l'extrémité.
What words are commonly confused with "fin"?
"fin" is commonly confused with "FN", "fo", "fm". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fin"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fin" is \fɛ̃\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "fin" come from?
"fin" is a French word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “fin”

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

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