haute mer

^((h aspiré))\ot mɛʁ\

/^((h aspiré))\ot mɛʁ\/ noun

The verdict

“haute mer” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - La mer qui est au delà de l’horizon, hors de vue du rivage.

Corpus desk

Index FR-haute-mer · haute mer · French

haute mer · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "H" 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.

Key facts for haute mer
PropertyValue
Headwordhaute mer
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA^((h aspiré))\ot mɛʁ\
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Longue queue: rang de « haute mer » en français

haute merreste hors des 100.000 mots français les plus fréquents, dans la longue queue du vocabulaire technique, archaïque ou rare, là où le doute d'orthographe frappe.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

haute mer is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed ^((h aspiré))\ot mɛʁ\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for haute mer in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable French patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct French form is haute mer, spelled H-A-U-T-E- -M-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    La mer qui est au delà de l’horizon, hors de vue du rivage.
  2. 2
    Marée haute.
  3. 3
    Zone maritime qui n’est sous l’autorité d’aucun État.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how haute mer appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Loin des eaux estuariennes mais en haute mer, la grande pêche sportive se rallie parfois à cette situation quand s'ancrant, on recherche thons et bonites au broumé ou requins à la strouille.
  2. Je veux la haute mer aux rapides courants, La haute mer avec ses tournoyantes plaines,

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "haute mer"?
"haute mer" is spelled H-A-U-T-E- -M-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is ^((h aspiré))\ot mɛʁ\.
What does "haute mer" mean?
As a noun, "haute mer" means: La mer qui est au delà de l’horizon, hors de vue du rivage.
How do you pronounce "haute mer"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "haute mer" is ^((h aspiré))\ot mɛʁ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "haute mer" come from?
"haute mer" 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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list