flèche

\flɛʃ\

/\flɛʃ\/ noun

The verdict

“flèche” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #6,828 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#6,828
frequency rank, French
6
letters
10
tracked misspellings
9
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Trait qu’on lance avec un arc ou une arbalète.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

flèche vs fleuve
50% similar
flèche vs flemme
50% similar
flèche vs friche
67% similar

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

Key facts for flèche
PropertyValue
Headwordflèche
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\flɛʃ\
Letters6
Frequency rank#6,828
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs9
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “flèche” 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). flèche 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 flèche is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \flɛʃ\. Corpus data places it at rank #6,828 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 27 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for flèche, with forms such as "fflèche", "flcèhe", and "fleche". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 9 confusable-pair relationships, "fleuve", "flemme", "friche", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is flèche, spelled F-L-È-C-H-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Trait qu’on lance avec un arc ou une arbalète.
  2. 2
    Signe indicateur en forme de flèche sur les plans, les voies publiques.
  3. 3
    Symbole en forme de flèche utilisé dans un schéma, un organigramme.
  4. 4
    Objet en forme de flèche.
  5. 5
    Propos acerbe, piquant, voire vexant.
  6. 6
    Longue pièce de bois cambrée qui joint le train de derrière d’une voiture à chevaux avec celui de devant.
  7. 7
    Sorte de pantographe en forme de hampe équipant les tramways.
  8. 8
    Partie d’un clocher qui surmonte la tour ou la cage, et qui est en pointe, en pyramide.
  9. 9
    Pièce allongée de l’affût d’une pièce d’artillerie (notamment un canon) soutenant celle-ci à l’arrière, terminée par une bêche enfoncée dans le sol pour limiter le recul.
  10. 10
    La flèche d’un arc : Le segment reliant les milieux d’un arc et de sa corde, dans un cercle.
  11. 11
    Flèche d’eau. Autre nom de la sagittaire.
  12. 12
    Fleur de la canne à sucre.
  13. 13
    Partie terminale du tronc de l'arbre qui lui donne sa direction.
  14. 14
    Personne qui est particulièrement astucieuse et rapide à la réflexion.
  15. 15
    Personne qui se distingue par sa maladresse, sa lenteur, etc.
  16. 16
    Une des parties centrales de la queue.
  17. 17
    Écart imposé à un renfort, destiné à empêcher l’objet renforcé de fléchir.
  18. 18
    Indicateur de direction à bras articulé, remplacé aujourd'hui par le clignotant.
  19. 19
    Age de la charrue.
  20. 20
    Définition manquante ou à compléter. (Ajouter)
  21. 21
    Technique d'attaque au fleuret et à l'épée.
  22. 22
    Meuble représentant l’objet du même nom dans les armoiries. Elle est généralement posée en pal, pointe vers le chef.
  23. 23
    Structure reliant le point d’attache d’une remorque à son châssis.
  24. 24
    Ensemble de trois pions de même couleur, groupés sur une même diagonale du damier et pouvant servir à pionner ou à combiner.
  25. 25
    Déplacement maximum d'un point d'une poutre en flexion.
  26. 26
    Barde de lard levée de l’épaule jusqu’à la cuisse sur le flanc du porc.
  27. 27
    Partie horizontale d’une grue à tour qui supporte et oriente la charge.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: fflèche,flcèhe,fleche,fllèche,flècche,flèceh,flèchhe,flèhce,fèlche,lfèche

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of flèche - 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.

fflèche1flcèhe2fleche1fllèche1flècche1flèceh2flèchhe1flèhce2
Edit distance from "flèche"

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 "flèche"?
"flèche" is spelled F-L-È-C-H-E. The IPA pronunciation is \flɛʃ\.
What does "flèche" mean?
As a noun, "flèche" means: Trait qu’on lance avec un arc ou une arbalète.
What words are commonly confused with "flèche"?
"flèche" is commonly confused with "fleuve", "flemme", "friche". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "flèche"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "flèche" is \flɛʃ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "flèche" come from?
"flèche" 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 “flèche”

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

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