flotteur

\flɔ.tœʁ\

/\flɔ.tœʁ\/ noun

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

The verdict

“flotteur” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #43,443 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#43,443
frequency rank, French
8
letters
10
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Ouvrier qui fait, qui construit ou qui mène des trains de bois sur les cours d’eau.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

flotteur vs frotter
75% similar
flotteur vs flotte
75% similar
flotteur vs flotter
88% similar

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

Key facts for flotteur
PropertyValue
Headwordflotteur
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\flɔ.tœʁ\
Letters8
Frequency rank#43,443
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “flotteur” 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). flotteur 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 flotteur is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \flɔ.tœʁ\. Corpus data places it at rank #43,443 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 11 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 flotteur, with forms such as "fflotteur", "fllotteur", and "flotetur". 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 7 confusable-pair relationships, "frotter", "flotte", "flotter", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct French form is flotteur, spelled F-L-O-T-T-E-U-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Ouvrier qui fait, qui construit ou qui mène des trains de bois sur les cours d’eau.
  2. 2
    Petit corps léger que l’on fait flotter sur une eau courante pour en mesurer la vitesse.
  3. 3
    Cylindre qui sert à maintenir un niveau d’essence constant dans le carburateur d’un moteur.
  4. 4
    Dispositif qui indique le niveau du liquide dans une chaudière à vapeur.
  5. 5
    Boule flottante disposée de manière à agir sur l’ouverture d’un sifflet d’alarme, afin d’avertir le chauffeur que le niveau de l’eau est descendu au-dessous du point réglementaire, dans une machine à vapeur.
  6. 6
    Dispositif qui maintient le niveau de l’eau dans la chasse d’eau.
  7. 7
    Dispositif qui permet aux hydravions de se maintenir à la surface de l’eau, ou aux trimarans et catamarans de se tenir sur l’eau.
  8. 8
    Sein.
  9. 9
    Petit élément flottant, visible, afin de voir lorsqu’il y a une prise.
  10. 10
    Petite bouée.
  11. 11
    Gros piment.

Synonyms

oualouradeliervoileurcageurcageuxdraveurraftman

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: fflotteur,fllotteur,flotetur,floteur,flotteru,flotteurr,flottuer,fltoteur,foltteur,lfotteur

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

fflotteur1fllotteur1flotetur2floteur1flotteru2flotteurr1flottuer2fltoteur2
Edit distance from "flotteur"

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 "flotteur"?
"flotteur" is spelled F-L-O-T-T-E-U-R. The IPA pronunciation is \flɔ.tœʁ\.
What does "flotteur" mean?
As a noun, "flotteur" means: Ouvrier qui fait, qui construit ou qui mène des trains de bois sur les cours d’eau.
What words are commonly confused with "flotteur"?
"flotteur" is commonly confused with "frotter", "flotte", "flotter". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "flotteur"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "flotteur" is \flɔ.tœʁ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "flotteur" come from?
"flotteur" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “flotteur”

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

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