p.m.

\pe.ɛm\

/\pe.ɛm\/ adv

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

The verdict

“p.m.” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adverb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
4
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - De l’après-midi, du soir. Note d’usage : Indique l’heure sur le cadran de 12 heures située entre midi (inclus) et minuit (non-inclus).

Key facts for p.m.
PropertyValue
Headwordp.m.
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdverb
IPA\pe.ɛm\
Letters4
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “p.m.” sits in French frequency

p.m. 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.

Rare enough to double-check

p.m. is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anadverb, transcribed \pe.ɛm\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "De l’après-midi, du soir. Note d’usage : Indique l’heure sur le cadran de 12 heures située entre midi (inclus) et minuit (non-inclus).".

p.m. has no tracked misspelling variants, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is p.m., spelled P-.-M-..

Definition

  1. 1
    De l’après-midi, du soir. Note d’usage : Indique l’heure sur le cadran de 12 heures située entre midi (inclus) et minuit (non-inclus).

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 "p.m."?
"p.m." is spelled P-.-M-.. The IPA pronunciation is \pe.ɛm\.
What does "p.m." mean?
As an adverb, "p.m." means: De l’après-midi, du soir. Note d’usage : Indique l’heure sur le cadran de 12 heures située entre midi (inclus) et minuit (non-inclus).
How do you pronounce "p.m."?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "p.m." is \pe.ɛm\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "p.m." come from?
"p.m." 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 “p.m.”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is P-.-M-. - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \pe.ɛm\ (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