hirondelle

^((h muet))\i.ʁɔ̃.dɛl\

/^((h muet))\i.ʁɔ̃.dɛl\/ noun

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

The verdict

“hirondelle” has 13 generated spelling variants in the French index at frequency #31,060. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#31,060
frequency rank, French
109,908
“H” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Oiseau passereau, migrateur, noir et blanc, qui vit en Europe au cours de l’été.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

hirondelle vs hirondelles
91% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for hirondelle
PropertyValue
Headwordhirondelle
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA^((h muet))\i.ʁɔ̃.dɛl\
Letters10
Frequency rank#31,060
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “hirondelle” 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). hirondelle 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 13 spelling variants around hirondelle (IPA ^((h muet))\i.ʁɔ̃.dɛl\), anoun. Corpus frequency is #31,060 among 109,908 “H” headwords. Wiktionary lists 10 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for hirondelle, with forms such as "hhirondelle", "hiorndelle", and "hirnodelle". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "hirondelles", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is hirondelle, spelled H-I-R-O-N-D-E-L-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Oiseau passereau, migrateur, noir et blanc, qui vit en Europe au cours de l’été.
  2. 2
    Traits de coupe (repère ou croix de repérage), imprimés dans la marge pour repérer les différents films.
  3. 3
    Policier à vélo. → voir mouette
  4. 4
    Policier de la brigade motorisée.
  5. 5
    Bateau assurant le transport des voyageurs sur les rivières.
  6. 6
    Nom des bateaux de taille moyenne qu’utilisa Richelieu pour le siège de La Rochelle.
  7. 7
    Pièce de métal plat qui entoure l’intérieur du moyeu d’une roue de charrette.
  8. 8
    Ouvrier habitant la campagne et qui allait travailler en ville l’hiver et rentrait l’été à la campagne.
  9. 9
    Personne liée à des services secrets qui séduit un ennemi pour obtenir des informations.
  10. 10
    Personnes sans domicile fixe.

This word in other languages

swallow(English)golondrina(Español)Schwalbe(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: hhirondelle,hiorndelle,hirnodelle,hirodnelle,hironddelle,hirondele,hirondelel,hirondlele,hironedlle,hironndelle,hirrondelle,hriondelle,ihrondelle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of hirondelle - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

hhirondelle1hiorndelle2hirnodelle2hirodnelle2hironddelle1hirondele1hirondelel2hirondlele2
Edit distance from "hirondelle"

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 "hirondelle"?
"hirondelle" is spelled H-I-R-O-N-D-E-L-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is ^((h muet))\i.ʁɔ̃.dɛl\.
What does "hirondelle" mean?
As a noun, "hirondelle" means: Oiseau passereau, migrateur, noir et blanc, qui vit en Europe au cours de l’été.
What words are commonly confused with "hirondelle"?
"hirondelle" is commonly confused with "hirondelles". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hirondelle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hirondelle" is ^((h muet))\i.ʁɔ̃.dɛl\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "hirondelle" come from?
"hirondelle" 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 “hirondelle”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is H-I-R-O-N-D-E-L-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as ^((h muet))\i.ʁɔ̃.dɛl\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “hirondelles” - see the side-by-side comparison. hirondelle vs hirondelles
  • 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