parallèle

\pa.ʁa.lɛl\

/\pa.ʁa.lɛl\/ adj

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

The verdict

“parallèle” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #3,211 in French word frequency and used as an adjective.

#3,211
frequency rank, French
9
letters
12
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Qui n’a pas d’intersection ; qui évolue côte à côte.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

parallèle vs parallèles
90% similar

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

Key facts for parallèle
PropertyValue
Headwordparallèle
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdjective
IPA\pa.ʁa.lɛl\
Letters9
Frequency rank#3,211
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “parallèle” 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). parallèle 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 parallèle is 9 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \pa.ʁa.lɛl\. Corpus data places it at rank #3,211 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 12 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for parallèle, with forms such as "aprallèle", "paarllèle", and "parallele". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "parallèles", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct French form is parallèle, spelled P-A-R-A-L-L-È-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Qui n’a pas d’intersection ; qui évolue côte à côte.
  2. 2
    En référence aux droites parallèles qui ne se rejoignent jamais.
  3. 3
    Qui ne se rencontre pas dans la réalité, imaginaire, introuvable.
  4. 4
    Situé à l’infini.
  5. 5
    En référence aux droites parallèles qui sont équidistantes, alignées de façon régulière et contiguës.
  6. 6
    Linéaire, issu d’une source lumineuse supposée située à l’infini.
  7. 7
    Groupé par même polarité, et travaillant en même temps, en parlant de générateurs ou autres.
  8. 8
    Qui se déroule dans des conditions analogues, similaire, semblable, homologue.
  9. 9
    Concomitant, simultané, qui a lieu en même temps.
  10. 10
    Collatéral.
  11. 11
    Officieux, non officiel, alternatif, marginal, latéral.
  12. 12
    Qui possède des nervures parallèles sans anastomoses entre elles.

Antonyms

perpendiculaire

This word in other languages

parallel(English)paralelo(Español)parallel(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: aprallèle,paarllèle,parallele,paralllèe,parallèel,parallèlle,paralèle,paralèlle,parlalèle,parrallèle,pparallèle,praallèle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of parallèle - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

aprallèle2paarllèle2parallele1paralllèe2parallèel2parallèlle1paralèle1paralèlle2
Edit distance from "parallèle"

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 "parallèle"?
"parallèle" is spelled P-A-R-A-L-L-È-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is \pa.ʁa.lɛl\.
What does "parallèle" mean?
As an adjective, "parallèle" means: Qui n’a pas d’intersection ; qui évolue côte à côte.
What words are commonly confused with "parallèle"?
"parallèle" is commonly confused with "parallèles". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "parallèle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "parallèle" is \pa.ʁa.lɛl\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "parallèle" come from?
"parallèle" 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 “parallèle”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is P-A-R-A-L-L-È-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \pa.ʁa.lɛl\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “parallèles” - see the side-by-side comparison. parallèle vs parallèles
  • 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