fleuve

\flœv\

/\flœv\/ noun

The verdict

“fleuve” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #3,679 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,679
frequency rank, French
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
13
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Cours d’eau qui se jette généralement dans la mer ou dans l’océan à son embouchure.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

fleuve vs floue
67% similar
fleuve vs flute
67% similar
fleuve vs fleuves
86% similar

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

Key facts for fleuve
PropertyValue
Headwordfleuve
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\flœv\
Letters6
Frequency rank#3,679
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs13
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “fleuve” 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). fleuve 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 fleuve is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \flœv\. Corpus data places it at rank #3,679 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for fleuve, with forms such as "feluve", "ffleuve", and "fleuev". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 13 confusable-pair relationships, "floue", "flute", "fleuves", 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 pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is fleuve, spelled F-L-E-U-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Cours d’eau qui se jette généralement dans la mer ou dans l’océan à son embouchure.
  2. 2
    Flot puissant et ininterrompu de personnes ou de choses.
  3. 3
    Divinité qui préside aux fleuves, et qu’on représente ordinairement sous la figure de vieillard à longue barbe couché sur des roseaux, appuyé sur une urne, la tête ceinte d’une couronne de joncs.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: feluve,ffleuve,fleuev,fleuvve,flevue,flleuve,flueve,lfeuve

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of fleuve - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

feluve2ffleuve1fleuev2fleuvve1flevue2flleuve1flueve2lfeuve2
Edit distance from "fleuve"

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 "fleuve"?
"fleuve" is spelled F-L-E-U-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is \flœv\.
What does "fleuve" mean?
As a noun, "fleuve" means: Cours d’eau qui se jette généralement dans la mer ou dans l’océan à son embouchure.
What words are commonly confused with "fleuve"?
"fleuve" is commonly confused with "floue", "flute", "fleuves". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fleuve"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fleuve" is \flœv\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "fleuve" come from?
"fleuve" 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 “fleuve”

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

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