folie

\fɔ.li\

/\fɔ.li\/ noun

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

The verdict

“folie” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #3,197 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,197
frequency rank, French
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Dérangement de l’esprit, accès de folie.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

folie vs folk
60% similar
folie vs foll
60% similar
folie vs forme
60% similar

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

Key facts for folie
PropertyValue
Headwordfolie
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\fɔ.li\
Letters5
Frequency rank#3,197
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “folie” 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). folie 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 folie is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \fɔ.li\. Corpus data places it at rank #3,197 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 11 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for folie, with forms such as "ffolie", "floie", and "foile". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "folk", "foll", "forme", 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 folie, spelled F-O-L-I-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Dérangement de l’esprit, accès de folie.
  2. 2
    Lésion plus ou moins complète et ordinairement de longue durée des facultés intellectuelles et affectives, sans trouble notable dans les sensations et les mouvements volontaires, et sans désordre grave ou même apparent des fonctions nutritives et génératrices.
  3. 3
    Absence de raison, extravagance, manque de jugement.
  4. 4
    Action folle, idée folle.
  5. 5
    Gaieté vive dans laquelle on fait ou dit des choses propres à divertir.
  6. 6
    La Folie, personnage fictif qu’on représente sous la figure d’une femme joyeuse avec une marotte et des grelots.
  7. 7
    Joyeusetés en paroles ou en actions.
  8. 8
    Caricature, charge plaisante.
  9. 9
    Goût exclusif, passionné, idée en laquelle on se complaît.
  10. 10
    Accointance charnelle.
  11. 11
    En chaleur, en parlant des animaux.

Synonyms

amokforcènementégarementcrétinismedéliredéraisonfrénésieimbécillitéinconsciencemodenévrosepassiontéméritévésanie

This word in other languages

madness(English)locura(Español)Tollheit(Deutsch)loucura(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ffolie,floie,foile,folei,follie,oflie

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ffolie1floie2foile2folei2follie1oflie2
Edit distance from "folie"

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 "folie"?
"folie" is spelled F-O-L-I-E. The IPA pronunciation is \fɔ.li\.
What does "folie" mean?
As a noun, "folie" means: Dérangement de l’esprit, accès de folie.
What words are commonly confused with "folie"?
"folie" is commonly confused with "folk", "foll", "forme". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "folie"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "folie" is \fɔ.li\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "folie" come from?
"folie" 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 “folie”

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

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