néo-
\ne.ɔ\
The verdict
“néo-” is outside the top-ranked French vocabulary, used as a prefix - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency French
- 4
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Préfixe exprimant la nouveauté, qui sert à composer des termes didactiques (en particulier, en philosophie, des termes désignant certaines écoles qui se rattachent à une école antérieure qu’elles c...
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | néo- |
| Language | French |
| Part of speech | Prefix |
| IPA | \ne.ɔ\ |
| Letters | 4 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “néo-” sits in French frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The French entry for néo- is 4 letters long, classified as a prefix, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ne.ɔ\. 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 néo-, 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 borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is néo-, spelled N-É-O--.
Definition
- 1Préfixe exprimant la nouveauté, qui sert à composer des termes didactiques (en particulier, en philosophie, des termes désignant certaines écoles qui se rattachent à une école antérieure qu’elles continuent à certains égards).
- 2Remplace Nouveau- ou Nouvelle- dans un toponyme pour former un gentilé.
This word in other languages
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
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Using “néo-”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct French spelling is N-É-O-- - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as \ne.ɔ\ (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.