hydre

\idʁ\

/\idʁ\/ noun

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

The verdict

“hydre” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #37,859 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#37,859
frequency rank, French
5
letters
8
tracked misspellings
15
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Serpent fabuleux à plusieurs têtes qui renaissent dès qu’on lui en coupe une.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

hydre vs hype
60% similar
hydre vs hymne
60% similar
hydre vs hyène
60% similar

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

Key facts for hydre
PropertyValue
Headwordhydre
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\idʁ\
Letters5
Frequency rank#37,859
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs15
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “hydre” 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). hydre 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 hydre is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \idʁ\. Corpus data places it at rank #37,859 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for hydre, with forms such as "hdyre", "hhydre", and "hyddre". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 15 confusable-pair relationships, "hype", "hymne", "hyène", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is hydre, spelled H-Y-D-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Serpent fabuleux à plusieurs têtes qui renaissent dès qu’on lui en coupe une.
  2. 2
    Ennemi dangereux, menace.
  3. 3
    Meuble représentant l’animal fabuleux du même nom dans les armoiries. Elle est généralement représentée comme un corps de serpent à la queue entortillée, doté d’ailes de chauve-souris, de deux pattes arrière et muni de plusieurs têtes dont il faut préciser le nombre dans le blasonnement (généralement c’est sept).
  4. 4
    Reptile ophidien correspondant présentement à une section des hydrophides, ou serpents d’eau.
  5. 5
    Genre de polypes, où l’on distingue l’hydre verte de Linné. → voir polype d’eau douce
  6. 6
    Plante du genre cornifle (Ceratophyllum demersum, L.) (cératophyllées).
  7. 7
    Hydre hydraulique : machine qui, au moyen d’un puits ou d’une petite source, procure une chute d’eau assez considérable pour être utilisée.
  8. 8
    Pierre philosophale.

This word in other languages

hydra(English)hidra(Español)Hydra(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: hdyre,hhydre,hyddre,hyder,hydrre,hyrde,hyydre,yhdre

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

hdyre2hhydre1hyddre1hyder2hydrre1hyrde2hyydre1yhdre2
Edit distance from "hydre"

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 "hydre"?
"hydre" is spelled H-Y-D-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is \idʁ\.
What does "hydre" mean?
As a noun, "hydre" means: Serpent fabuleux à plusieurs têtes qui renaissent dès qu’on lui en coupe une.
What words are commonly confused with "hydre"?
"hydre" is commonly confused with "hype", "hymne", "hyène". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hydre"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hydre" is \idʁ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "hydre" come from?
"hydre" 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 “hydre”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is H-Y-D-R-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \idʁ\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “hype” - see the side-by-side comparison. hydre vs hype
  • 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