langue des signes

\lɑ̃ɡ de siɲ\

/\lɑ̃ɡ de siɲ\/ noun

The verdict

“langue des signes” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
17
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Langue gestuelle utilisant les mouvements des mains, du visage et du corps dans son ensemble, employée par les personnes sourdes ou muettes, ou malentendantes pour communiquer.

Key facts for langue des signes
PropertyValue
Headwordlangue des signes
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\lɑ̃ɡ de siɲ\
Letters17
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “langue des signes” sits in French frequency

langue des signes falls outside the top-100,000 ranked French words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

langue des signes is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed \lɑ̃ɡ de siɲ\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Langue gestuelle utilisant les mouvements des mains, du visage et du corps dans son ensemble, employée par les personnes sourdes ou muettes, ou malentendantes pour communiquer.".

Zero misspellings are on record for langue des signes in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is langue des signes, spelled L-A-N-G-U-E- -D-E-S- -S-I-G-N-E-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Langue gestuelle utilisant les mouvements des mains, du visage et du corps dans son ensemble, employée par les personnes sourdes ou muettes, ou malentendantes pour communiquer.

Synonyms

langage des sourds-muetslangage naturel des signes

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "langue des signes"?
"langue des signes" is spelled L-A-N-G-U-E- -D-E-S- -S-I-G-N-E-S. The IPA pronunciation is \lɑ̃ɡ de siɲ\.
What does "langue des signes" mean?
As a noun, "langue des signes" means: Langue gestuelle utilisant les mouvements des mains, du visage et du corps dans son ensemble, employée par les personnes sourdes ou muettes, ou malentendantes pour communiquer.
How do you pronounce "langue des signes"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "langue des signes" is \lɑ̃ɡ de siɲ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "langue des signes" come from?
"langue des signes" 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 “langue des signes”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is L-A-N-G-U-E- -D-E-S- -S-I-G-N-E-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \lɑ̃ɡ de siɲ\ (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
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