pare-feu

\paʁ.fø\

/\paʁ.fø\/ adj

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency French
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Dispositif matériel qui évite au feu de se propager dans un théâtre.

Key facts for pare-feu
PropertyValue
Headwordpare-feu
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdjective
IPA\paʁ.fø\
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pare-feu” sits in French frequency

pare-feu 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

pare-feu is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed \paʁ.fø\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for pare-feu in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular French conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is pare-feu, spelled P-A-R-E---F-E-U.

Definition

  1. 1
    Dispositif matériel qui évite au feu de se propager dans un théâtre.
  2. 2
    Pare-étincelles, c'est-à-dire grille mobile disposée devant l'âtre d'une cheminée afin d’éviter la projection d’escarbilles.
  3. 3
    Au sens figuré, séparation équivalente à un cordon sanitaire au sens figuré.

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 "pare-feu"?
"pare-feu" is spelled P-A-R-E---F-E-U. The IPA pronunciation is \paʁ.fø\.
What does "pare-feu" mean?
As an adjective, "pare-feu" means: Dispositif matériel qui évite au feu de se propager dans un théâtre.
How do you pronounce "pare-feu"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pare-feu" is \paʁ.fø\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "pare-feu" come from?
"pare-feu" 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 “pare-feu”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is P-A-R-E---F-E-U - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \paʁ.fø\ (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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list