papillote

\pa.pi.jɔt\

/\pa.pi.jɔt\/ noun

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

The verdict

“papillote” is uncommon French (frequency #94,101 among 248,534 “P” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#94,101
frequency rank, French
248,534
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Morceau de papier dont on enveloppe les cheveux que l’on met en boucles, pour les friser.

Key facts for papillote
PropertyValue
Headwordpapillote
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\pa.pi.jɔt\
Letters9
Frequency rank#94,101
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “papillote” 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). papillote 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

papillote is uncommon French at frequency #94,101 among 248,534 “P” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed \pa.pi.jɔt\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 8 senses are on record.

papillote doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct French form is papillote, spelled P-A-P-I-L-L-O-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Morceau de papier dont on enveloppe les cheveux que l’on met en boucles, pour les friser.
  2. 2
    Mèche de cheveux frisée avec ce papier ou au fer.
  3. 3
    Mèche de cheveux allant de paire de chaque côté du visage, typiques des hommes juifs orthodoxes.
  4. 4
    Enveloppe faite d’une feuille de papier pour éviter la dessiccation des aliments lors de la cuisson.
  5. 5
    Ornement de papier façonné et dentelé dont on entoure le manche d'un gigot ou d'une côtelette.
  6. 6
    Emballage individuel d'un bonbon, d'un fruit, etc.
  7. 7
    Dragée enveloppée dans un morceau de papier.
  8. 8
    Cette friandise emballée avec une maxime et/ou un pétard.

Synonyms

anglaisebouclebouclettefrisonpéotpéote

This word in other languages

papillote(English)papillote(Español)Schläfenlocke(Deutsch)papelote(Português)

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 "papillote"?
"papillote" is spelled P-A-P-I-L-L-O-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is \pa.pi.jɔt\.
What does "papillote" mean?
As a noun, "papillote" means: Morceau de papier dont on enveloppe les cheveux que l’on met en boucles, pour les friser.
How do you pronounce "papillote"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "papillote" is \pa.pi.jɔt\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "papillote" come from?
"papillote" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “papillote”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is P-A-P-I-L-L-O-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \pa.pi.jɔt\ (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