gras comme un clou
\ɡʁa kɔ.m‿œ̃ klu\
The verdict
“gras comme un clou” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency French
- 18
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Maigre comme un clou.
Corpus desk
Index FR-gras-comme-un-clou · gras comme un clou · French
gras comme un clou · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 18 letters
- VOW-6 6 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "G" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | gras comme un clou |
| Language | French |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | \ɡʁa kɔ.m‿œ̃ klu\ |
| Letters | 18 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “gras comme un clou” sits in French frequency
Rare enough to double-check
gras comme un clou is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed \ɡʁa kɔ.m‿œ̃ klu\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Maigre comme un clou.".
The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for gras comme un clou, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is gras comme un clou, spelled G-R-A-S- -C-O-M-M-E- -U-N- -C-L-O-U.
Definition
- 1Maigre comme un clou.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how gras comme un clou appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
Gras comme un clou, la quarantaine, serré dans une redingote fendue dans le dos, les jambes arquées aux fortes cuisses moulées dans une culotte jadis bleu céleste, il faisait plus grand qu'il ne l'était.
— Tiens, voilà le big-boss, […]. Tu es gras comme un clou mais tu ne sembles pas avoir souffert du carême imposé par ces tristes sires que sont les moines !
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.
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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.