magnum opus

\maɡ.nɔ.m‿ɔ.pys\

/\maɡ.nɔ.m‿ɔ.pys\/ noun

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

The verdict

“magnum opus” 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
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Grand œuvre, réalisation de la pierre philosophale.

Key facts for magnum opus
PropertyValue
Headwordmagnum opus
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\maɡ.nɔ.m‿ɔ.pys\
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “magnum opus” sits in French frequency

magnum opus 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 magnum opus is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \maɡ.nɔ.m‿ɔ.pys\. 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.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for magnum opus, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is magnum opus, spelled M-A-G-N-U-M- -O-P-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Grand œuvre, réalisation de la pierre philosophale.
  2. 2
    Grand œuvre, chef-d’œuvre représentant l’accomplissement de la vie d’un artiste.

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 "magnum opus"?
"magnum opus" is spelled M-A-G-N-U-M- -O-P-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is \maɡ.nɔ.m‿ɔ.pys\.
What does "magnum opus" mean?
As a noun, "magnum opus" means: Grand œuvre, réalisation de la pierre philosophale.
How do you pronounce "magnum opus"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "magnum opus" is \maɡ.nɔ.m‿ɔ.pys\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "magnum opus" come from?
"magnum opus" 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 “magnum opus”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is M-A-G-N-U-M- -O-P-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \maɡ.nɔ.m‿ɔ.pys\ (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