ligne de départ

\liɲ də de.paʁ\

/\liɲ də de.paʁ\/ noun

The verdict

“ligne de départ” is outside the top-ranked French vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
15
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Ligne suivant laquelle un projectile se met en mouvement.

Key facts for ligne de départ
PropertyValue
Headwordligne de départ
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\liɲ də de.paʁ\
Letters15
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ligne de départ” sits in French frequency

ligne de départ 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.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The French entry for ligne de départ is 15 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \liɲ də de.paʁ\. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

ligne de départ has no tracked misspelling variants, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct French form is ligne de départ, spelled L-I-G-N-E- -D-E- -D-É-P-A-R-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Ligne suivant laquelle un projectile se met en mouvement.
  2. 2
    Ensemble de candidats ou de participants.

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 "ligne de départ"?
"ligne de départ" is spelled L-I-G-N-E- -D-E- -D-É-P-A-R-T. The IPA pronunciation is \liɲ də de.paʁ\.
What does "ligne de départ" mean?
As a noun, "ligne de départ" means: Ligne suivant laquelle un projectile se met en mouvement.
How do you pronounce "ligne de départ"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ligne de départ" is \liɲ də de.paʁ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "ligne de départ" come from?
"ligne de départ" 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 “ligne de départ”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is L-I-G-N-E- -D-E- -D-É-P-A-R-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \liɲ də de.paʁ\ (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