langue

\lɑ̃ɡ\

/\lɑ̃ɡ\/ noun

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

The verdict

“langue” is in the everyday core of French, ranked #629 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#629
frequency rank, French
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Organe musculaire charnu et mobile, situé à l’intérieur de la bouche, et permettant de percevoir le sens du goût et d’articuler certains sons.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

langue vs large
67% similar
langue vs ligue
67% similar
langue vs linge
67% similar

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

Key facts for langue
PropertyValue
Headwordlangue
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\lɑ̃ɡ\
Letters6
Frequency rank#629
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “langue” 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). langue 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 langue is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \lɑ̃ɡ\. Corpus data places it at rank #629 in overall French word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 11 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 langue, with forms such as "alngue", "lagnue", and "langeu". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "large", "ligue", "linge", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is langue, spelled L-A-N-G-U-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Organe musculaire charnu et mobile, situé à l’intérieur de la bouche, et permettant de percevoir le sens du goût et d’articuler certains sons.
  2. 2
    Ce même organe d'un animal cuisiné pour l'alimentation humaine.
  3. 3
    Chose qui a une forme longue, étroite et peu épaisse.
  4. 4
    Système d’expression orale, gestuelle ou écrite utilisé par un groupe de personnes (communauté linguistique) pour communiquer.
  5. 5
    La parole, le bagou, la tchatche.
  6. 6
    Langage (pas forcément parlé).
  7. 7
    Vocabulaire ou syntaxe propres à tel ou tel écrivain ou telle ou telle personne.
  8. 8
    Synonyme de plie cynoglosse (poisson).
  9. 9
    Bande de glace descendant d’un glacier.
  10. 10
    Langue dans laquelle est réputée rédigée une carte, normalement mise en évidence par le titre et la légende.
  11. 11
    Longue fêlure sur une vitre ou un miroir, une fêlure courte se nomme une ammorce.

This word in other languages

tongue(English)lengua(Español)Zunge(Deutsch)língua(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: alngue,lagnue,langeu,langgue,lanngue,lanuge,llangue,lnague

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

alngue2lagnue2langeu2langgue1lanngue1lanuge2llangue1lnague2
Edit distance from "langue"

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 "langue"?
"langue" is spelled L-A-N-G-U-E. The IPA pronunciation is \lɑ̃ɡ\.
What does "langue" mean?
As a noun, "langue" means: Organe musculaire charnu et mobile, situé à l’intérieur de la bouche, et permettant de percevoir le sens du goût et d’articuler certains sons.
What words are commonly confused with "langue"?
"langue" is commonly confused with "large", "ligue", "linge". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "langue"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "langue" is \lɑ̃ɡ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "langue" come from?
"langue" is a French word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “langue”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is L-A-N-G-U-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \lɑ̃ɡ\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “large” - see the side-by-side comparison. langue vs large
  • 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