ombre

\ɔ̃bʁ\

/\ɔ̃bʁ\/ noun

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

The verdict

“ombre” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #2,488 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,488
frequency rank, French
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
12
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Obscurité relative que cause un corps opaque en interceptant la lumière.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

ombre vs Omer
40% similar
ombre vs orbe
60% similar
ombre vs ordre
60% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for ombre
PropertyValue
Headwordombre
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ɔ̃bʁ\
Letters5
Frequency rank#2,488
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs12
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ombre” 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). ombre 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 ombre is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ɔ̃bʁ\. Corpus data places it at rank #2,488 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 18 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for ombre, with forms such as "mobre", "obmre", and "ombbre". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 12 confusable-pair relationships, "Omer", "orbe", "ordre", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is ombre, spelled O-M-B-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Obscurité relative que cause un corps opaque en interceptant la lumière.
  2. 2
    Absence de clarté ; obscurité ; nuit.
  3. 3
    Silhouette, contour projeté par la lumière et intercepté par un corps.
  4. 4
    Ce qui dissimule ou empêche de connaître, ce qui est caché, oublié, mystérieux.
  5. 5
    Personne anonyme.
  6. 6
    Fidèle ou inséparable compagnon.
  7. 7
    Être ou chose que l’ombre accompagne normalement mais qui brille par son absence.
  8. 8
    Personne amenée par un invité, convive.
  9. 9
    Vague forme humaine.
  10. 10
    Légère apparence.
  11. 11
    Apparence trompeuse, chimère.
  12. 12
    Âme après qu’elle a quitté le corps ; fantôme ; esprit.
  13. 13
    Personne ou chose personnifiée qui a cessé d’être ou perdu les qualités, les avantages qui faisaient sa force, sa grandeur, son éclat.
  14. 14
    Couleur sombre qu’on emploie dans un tableau pour ombrer et donner du relief aux parties éclairées → voir clair-obscur.
  15. 15
    En psychologie jungienne, parties de soi qui comportent les parts que l'on maintient ou rejette dans l'inconscient pour des motifs moraux ou sociaux.
  16. 16
    Ce qui attriste, inquiète, assombrit le moral, nuit à la sérénité de l’esprit, tristesse, spleen, mélancolie.
  17. 17
    Expression de tristesse, d’inquiétude.
  18. 18
    Voir ombre de.

This word in other languages

shade(English)sombra(Español)Schatten(Deutsch)sombra(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: mobre,obmre,ombbre,omber,ombrre,ommbre,omrbe

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of ombre - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

mobre2obmre2ombbre1omber2ombrre1ommbre1omrbe2
Edit distance from "ombre"

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 "ombre"?
"ombre" is spelled O-M-B-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is \ɔ̃bʁ\.
What does "ombre" mean?
As a noun, "ombre" means: Obscurité relative que cause un corps opaque en interceptant la lumière.
What words are commonly confused with "ombre"?
"ombre" is commonly confused with "Omer", "orbe", "ordre". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ombre"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ombre" is \ɔ̃bʁ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "ombre" come from?
"ombre" 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 “ombre”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is O-M-B-R-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ɔ̃bʁ\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Omer” - see the side-by-side comparison. ombre vs Omer
  • 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