masterpiece

\ˈmæs.tɚ.ˌpis\

/\ˈmæs.tɚ.ˌpis\/ noun

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

The verdict

“masterpiece” is uncommon French (frequency #96,113 among 202,672 “M” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#96,113
frequency rank, French
202,672
“M” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Chef-d’œuvre.

Key facts for masterpiece
PropertyValue
Headwordmasterpiece
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ˈmæs.tɚ.ˌpis\
Letters11
Frequency rank#96,113
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “masterpiece” 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). masterpiece lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

masterpiece is uncommon French at frequency #96,113 among 202,672 “M” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed \ˈmæs.tɚ.ˌpis\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Chef-d’œuvre.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for masterpiece, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable French rules. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

No explicit etymology string is stored 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 masterpiece, spelled M-A-S-T-E-R-P-I-E-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Chef-d’œuvre.

Synonyms

chef d’oeuvremasterworkmagnum opus

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 "masterpiece"?
"masterpiece" is spelled M-A-S-T-E-R-P-I-E-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is \ˈmæs.tɚ.ˌpis\.
What does "masterpiece" mean?
As a noun, "masterpiece" means: Chef-d’œuvre.
How do you pronounce "masterpiece"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "masterpiece" is \ˈmæs.tɚ.ˌpis\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "masterpiece" come from?
"masterpiece" 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 “masterpiece”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is M-A-S-T-E-R-P-I-E-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ˈmæs.tɚ.ˌpis\ (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

Other uncommon French words near this rank

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