lieue

\ljø\

/\ljø\/ noun

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

The verdict

“lieue” is an uncommon French word, ranked #51,576 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#51,576
frequency rank, French
5
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Unité de distance de l’ancien régime, d’environ quatre kilomètres.

Key facts for lieue
PropertyValue
Headwordlieue
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ljø\
Letters5
Frequency rank#51,576
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “lieue” 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). lieue 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 lieue is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ljø\. Corpus data places it at rank #51,576 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for lieue, suggesting the orthography follows predictable French patterns. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct French form is lieue, spelled L-I-E-U-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Unité de distance de l’ancien régime, d’environ quatre kilomètres.
  2. 2
    Grande distance.

This word in other languages

league(English)legua(Español)Meile(Deutsch)légua(Português)

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 "lieue"?
"lieue" is spelled L-I-E-U-E. The IPA pronunciation is \ljø\.
What does "lieue" mean?
As a noun, "lieue" means: Unité de distance de l’ancien régime, d’environ quatre kilomètres.
How do you pronounce "lieue"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lieue" is \ljø\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "lieue" come from?
"lieue" 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 “lieue”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is L-I-E-U-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ljø\ (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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list