flatter

\fla.te\

/\fla.te\/ verb

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

The verdict

“flatter” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #25,316 in French word frequency and used as a verb.

#25,316
frequency rank, French
7
letters
9
tracked misspellings
14
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Louer excessivement dans le dessein de plaire, de séduire, d’exploiter.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

flatter vs flotte
71% similar
flatter vs frotter
71% similar
flatter vs flotter
86% similar

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

Key facts for flatter
PropertyValue
Headwordflatter
LanguageFrench
Part of speechVerb
IPA\fla.te\
Letters7
Frequency rank#25,316
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs14
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “flatter” 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). flatter 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 flatter is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \fla.te\. Corpus data places it at rank #25,316 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for flatter, with forms such as "faltter", "fflatter", and "flater". 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 14 confusable-pair relationships, "flotte", "frotter", "flotter", 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 its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is flatter, spelled F-L-A-T-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Louer excessivement dans le dessein de plaire, de séduire, d’exploiter.
  2. 2
    Complaire aux passions, aux caprices, aux goûts de quelqu’un, leur donner son approbation, des louanges.
  3. 3
    Dépeindre, représenter une personne ou quelque chose plus belle qu’elle ne l’est.
  4. 4
    Caresser.
  5. 5
    Entrer dans les vues, partager les sentiments de quelqu’un.
  6. 6
    Causer un vif plaisir, une grande satisfaction.
  7. 7
    Avoir ou vouloir donner une trop haute idée de soi-même, de son habileté, de ses ressources, etc.
  8. 8
    S’entretenir dans l’espérance, s’amuser de l’espérance de quelque chose, prétendre, espérer à tort ou à raison.

This word in other languages

flatter(English)adular(Español)schmeicheln(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: faltter,fflatter,flater,flatetr,flatterr,flattre,fllatter,fltater,lfatter

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of flatter - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

faltter2fflatter1flater1flatetr2flatterr1flattre2fllatter1fltater2
Edit distance from "flatter"

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 "flatter"?
"flatter" is spelled F-L-A-T-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is \fla.te\.
What does "flatter" mean?
As a verb, "flatter" means: Louer excessivement dans le dessein de plaire, de séduire, d’exploiter.
What words are commonly confused with "flatter"?
"flatter" is commonly confused with "flotte", "frotter", "flotter". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "flatter"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "flatter" is \fla.te\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "flatter" come from?
"flatter" 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 “flatter”

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

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