par préférence

\paʁ pʁe.fe.ʁɑ̃s\

/\paʁ pʁe.fe.ʁɑ̃s\/ adv

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency French
14
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Plutôt.

Corpus desk

Index FR-par-preference · par préférence · French

par préférence · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 14 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "P" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for par préférence
PropertyValue
Headwordpar préférence
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdverb
IPA\paʁ pʁe.fe.ʁɑ̃s\
Letters14
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Longue queue: rang de « par préférence » en français

par préférencesiège au-delà des 100.000 formes les plus fréquentes du français, dans la traîne du lexique spécialisé ou peu usité.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

par préférence is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anadverb, transcribed \paʁ pʁe.fe.ʁɑ̃s\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Plutôt.".

No generated misspelling entries exist for par préférence in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular French conventions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is par préférence, spelled P-A-R- -P-R-É-F-É-R-E-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Plutôt.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how par préférence appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Des deux emplois qu’on lui offrait, il a pris celui-là par préférence.

Synonyms

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 "par préférence"?
"par préférence" is spelled P-A-R- -P-R-É-F-É-R-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is \paʁ pʁe.fe.ʁɑ̃s\.
What does "par préférence" mean?
As an adverb, "par préférence" means: Plutôt.
How do you pronounce "par préférence"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "par préférence" is \paʁ pʁe.fe.ʁɑ̃s\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "par préférence" come from?
"par préférence" 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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list