haute mer

^((h aspiré))\ot mɛʁ\

/^((h aspiré))\ot mɛʁ\/ noun

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

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 May 6, 2026) - La mer qui est au delà de l’horizon, hors de vue du rivage.

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)

Where “haute mer” sits in French frequency

haute mer falls outside the top-100,000 ranked French words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

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.

Synonyms

grand largepleine mereaux internationales

Antonyms

basse mereaux territoriales

This word in other languages

high seas(English)

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.

Using “haute mer”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is H-A-U-T-E- -M-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as ^((h aspiré))\ot mɛʁ\ (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