leitmotive

\lajt.mɔ.tif\

/\lajt.mɔ.tif\/ noun

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency French
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Pluriel de leitmotiv.

Corpus desk

Index FR-leitmotive · leitmotive · French

leitmotive · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "L" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for leitmotive
PropertyValue
Headwordleitmotive
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\lajt.mɔ.tif\
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Longue queue: rang de « leitmotive » en français

leitmotivesiège au-delà des 100.000 formes les plus fréquentes du français, dans la traîne du lexique spécialisé ou peu usité.

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

Rare enough to double-check

leitmotive is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed \lajt.mɔ.tif\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Pluriel de leitmotiv.".

Zero misspellings are on record for leitmotive in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

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 leitmotive, spelled L-E-I-T-M-O-T-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Pluriel de leitmotiv.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how leitmotive appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Il y a des moments de la vie où une sorte de beauté naît de la multiplicité des ennuis qui nous assaillent, entrecroisés comme des leitmotive wagnériens, de la notion aussi, émergente alors, que les événements ne sont pas situés dans l'ensemble des reflets peints dans le pauvre petit miroir que porte devant elle l'intelligence et qu'elle appelle l'avenir,…
  2. Il y a, dans Pourquoi Israël, deux leitmotive métaphysiques qui circulent tout au long du film et lui confèrent puissance et vis comica : celui de la normalité et de l’anormalité, et l’autre, qui tourne, sans fin ni réponse peut-être, autour de la question : « Qui est juif ? Who is a Jew ? »

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 "leitmotive"?
"leitmotive" is spelled L-E-I-T-M-O-T-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is \lajt.mɔ.tif\.
What does "leitmotive" mean?
As a noun, "leitmotive" means: Pluriel de leitmotiv.
How do you pronounce "leitmotive"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "leitmotive" is \lajt.mɔ.tif\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "leitmotive" come from?
"leitmotive" 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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list