known

\ˈnoʊn\

/\ˈnoʊn\/ adj

The verdict

“known” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #47,995 in French word frequency and used as an adjective.

#47,995
frequency rank, French
5
letters
8
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Connu.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

known vs kwon
60% similar
known vs knows
80% similar
known vs know
80% similar

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

Key facts for known
PropertyValue
Headwordknown
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdjective
IPA\ˈnoʊn\
Letters5
Frequency rank#47,995
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “known” 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). known 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 known is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ˈnoʊn\. Corpus data places it at rank #47,995 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Connu.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for known, with forms such as "kknown", "knnown", and "knonw". 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. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "kwon", "knows", "know", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct French form is known, spelled K-N-O-W-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Connu.

Antonyms

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: kknown,knnown,knonw,knownn,knowwn,knwon,konwn,nkown

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of known - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

kknown1knnown1knonw2knownn1knowwn1knwon2konwn2nkown2
Edit distance from "known"

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 "known"?
"known" is spelled K-N-O-W-N. The IPA pronunciation is \ˈnoʊn\.
What does "known" mean?
As an adjective, "known" means: Connu.
What words are commonly confused with "known"?
"known" is commonly confused with "kwon", "knows", "know". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "known"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "known" is \ˈnoʊn\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "known" come from?
"known" 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 “known”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is K-N-O-W-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ˈnoʊn\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “kwon” - see the side-by-side comparison. known vs kwon
  • 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