hérisson

^((h aspiré))\e.ʁi.sɔ̃\

/^((h aspiré))\e.ʁi.sɔ̃\/ noun

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

The verdict

“hérisson” has 11 generated spelling variants in the French index at frequency #25,354. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#25,354
frequency rank, French
109,908
“H” headwords
11
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Nom vernaculaire donné aux animaux hérissés de poils piquants.

Key facts for hérisson
PropertyValue
Headwordhérisson
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA^((h aspiré))\e.ʁi.sɔ̃\
Letters8
Frequency rank#25,354
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “hérisson” 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). hérisson lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around hérisson (IPA ^((h aspiré))\e.ʁi.sɔ̃\), anoun. Corpus frequency is #25,354 among 109,908 “H” headwords. Wiktionary lists 17 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for hérisson, with forms such as "herisson", "hhérisson", and "hréisson". 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. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is hérisson, spelled H-É-R-I-S-S-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Nom vernaculaire donné aux animaux hérissés de poils piquants.
  2. 2
    Petit mammifère insectivore dont la peau du dos est toute couverte de longs piquants composés de poils agglomérés.
  3. 3
    Désigne aussi des animaux comme l’oursin, des coquillages. → voir hérisson de mer
  4. 4
    Tout objet hérissé de pointes. → voir hérisson foudroyant et hérisson roulant
  5. 5
    Égouttoir à bouteilles, if.
  6. 6
    Ouvrage de défense en fer forgé pourvu de pointes, scellé au faîte d’un mur.
  7. 7
    Dispositif fait de lances ou pics entrecroisés destinés à fermer un passage.
  8. 8
    Disposition en épi des pierres de faîtage.
  9. 9
    Groupe de plusieurs milliers de soldats, formé en carrés, dont les côtés sont garnis de piques.
  10. 10
    Rouleau muni de pointes qui sert à écraser les mottes de terre d’un champ.
  11. 11
    Dispositif rotatif installé sur l’arrière d’une remorque tractée servant à épandre le fumier ou l’engrais à la surface d’un champ.
  12. 12
    Tige pourvue de languettes métalliques souples permettant le ramonage.
  13. 13
    Roue dont les dents ou rayons sont plantées sur la circonférence extérieure.
  14. 14
    Poutre portée par le milieu sur un pivot et garnie de quantité de pointes de fer, qui servait, aux portes des villes, pour ouvrir et fermer le passage selon qu’il était nécessaire.
  15. 15
    Homme d’une susceptibilité irritable.
  16. 16
    Meuble représentant l’animal du même nom dans les armoiries. Il se blasonne comme le porc-épic dont il se distingue par la longueur des pattes et les épines plus courtes.
  17. 17
    Tactique qui consiste à enterrer les soldats dans des puits ou des galeries.

Synonyms

nigloifporte-bouteillecheval de frise

This word in other languages

hedgehog(English)erizo(Español)Igel(Deutsch)ouriço(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: herisson,hhérisson,hréisson,héirsson,hérison,hérisosn,hérissno,hérissonn,hérrisson,hérsison,éhrisson

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

herisson1hhérisson1hréisson2héirsson2hérison1hérisosn2hérissno2hérissonn1
Edit distance from "hérisson"

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 "hérisson"?
"hérisson" is spelled H-É-R-I-S-S-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is ^((h aspiré))\e.ʁi.sɔ̃\.
What does "hérisson" mean?
As a noun, "hérisson" means: Nom vernaculaire donné aux animaux hérissés de poils piquants.
What are common misspellings of "hérisson"?
Common misspellings include "herisson", "hhérisson", "hréisson", "héirsson", "hérison". The correct spelling is "hérisson".
How do you pronounce "hérisson"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hérisson" is ^((h aspiré))\e.ʁi.sɔ̃\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "hérisson" come from?
"hérisson" 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 “hérisson”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is H-É-R-I-S-S-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as ^((h aspiré))\e.ʁi.sɔ̃\ (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

Same frequency band

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