grisaille

\ɡʁi.zaj\

/\ɡʁi.zaj\/ noun

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

The verdict

“grisaille” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #31,526 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#31,526
frequency rank, French
9
letters
11
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Peinture qui se fait avec deux couleurs, l’une claire, l’autre sombre, et qui représente des objets supposés blancs, ou en imitation d'un bas-relief.

Key facts for grisaille
PropertyValue
Headwordgrisaille
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ɡʁi.zaj\
Letters9
Frequency rank#31,526
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “grisaille” 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). grisaille 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 grisaille is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ɡʁi.zaj\. Corpus data places it at rank #31,526 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for grisaille, with forms such as "ggrisaille", "girsaille", and "griasille". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

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 grisaille, spelled G-R-I-S-A-I-L-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Peinture qui se fait avec deux couleurs, l’une claire, l’autre sombre, et qui représente des objets supposés blancs, ou en imitation d'un bas-relief.
  2. 2
    Vitrail en tons gris, réalisé par ajout d’oxydes métalliques avant la cuisson du verre.
  3. 3
    Temps gris et couvert.
  4. 4
    Un des noms vernaculaires du peuplier blanc.
  5. 5
    Ensemble indistinct et sans éclat.
  6. 6
    Mélange de cheveux blancs et de cheveux noirs, destiné à confectionner des perruques.
  7. 7
    Tissu mélangé de blanc et de noir, ou à petits carreaux blancs et noirs.

This word in other languages

grisaille(English)grisalla(Español)Grisaille(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ggrisaille,girsaille,griasille,grisaile,grisailel,grisalile,grisialle,grissaille,grrisaille,grsiaille,rgisaille

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of grisaille - 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.

ggrisaille1girsaille2griasille2grisaile1grisailel2grisalile2grisialle2grissaille1
Edit distance from "grisaille"

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 "grisaille"?
"grisaille" is spelled G-R-I-S-A-I-L-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is \ɡʁi.zaj\.
What does "grisaille" mean?
As a noun, "grisaille" means: Peinture qui se fait avec deux couleurs, l’une claire, l’autre sombre, et qui représente des objets supposés blancs, ou en imitation d'un bas-relief.
What are common misspellings of "grisaille"?
Common misspellings include "ggrisaille", "girsaille", "griasille", "grisaile", "grisailel". The correct spelling is "grisaille".
How do you pronounce "grisaille"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "grisaille" is \ɡʁi.zaj\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "grisaille" come from?
"grisaille" 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 “grisaille”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is G-R-I-S-A-I-L-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ɡʁi.zaj\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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