format

\fɔʁ.ma\

/\fɔʁ.ma\/ noun

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

The verdict

“format” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #2,518 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,518
frequency rank, French
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Dimensions caractéristiques d’un objet.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

format vs fort
67% similar
format vs forme
67% similar
format vs forza
67% similar

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

Key facts for format
PropertyValue
Headwordformat
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\fɔʁ.ma\
Letters6
Frequency rank#2,518
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “format” 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). format 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 format is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \fɔʁ.ma\. Corpus data places it at rank #2,518 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. 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 format, with forms such as "fformat", "fomrat", and "foramt". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "fort", "forme", "forza", 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 best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is format, spelled F-O-R-M-A-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Dimensions caractéristiques d’un objet.
  2. 2
    Dimension d’un volume en hauteur et en largeur : elle est généralement déterminée par le nombre de feuillets que chaque feuille renferme.
  3. 3
    Agencement structuré d’un support de données.
  4. 4
    Disposition de ces données elles-mêmes.
  5. 5
    Facteur de forme correspondant au rapport de la largeur par la hauteur d’une image de papier ou numérique, ou d’une feuille.
  6. 6
    Dimension extérieure d’un document rectangulaire en longueur et en largeur.
  7. 7
    Genre, acabit.
  8. 8
    audiovisuels, Anglicisme, idée, le titre, la configuration d’un programme de télévision,

This word in other languages

format(English)formato(Español)Format(Deutsch)formato(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: fformat,fomrat,foramt,formatt,formmat,formta,forrmat,fromat,ofrmat

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

fformat1fomrat2foramt2formatt1formmat1formta2forrmat1fromat2
Edit distance from "format"

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 "format"?
"format" is spelled F-O-R-M-A-T. The IPA pronunciation is \fɔʁ.ma\.
What does "format" mean?
As a noun, "format" means: Dimensions caractéristiques d’un objet.
What words are commonly confused with "format"?
"format" is commonly confused with "fort", "forme", "forza". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "format"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "format" is \fɔʁ.ma\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "format" come from?
"format" 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 “format”

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

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