pas mal

\pɑ mal\

/\pɑ mal\/ adj

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

The verdict

“pas mal” is outside the top-ranked French vocabulary, used as an adjective - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Plutôt bon ou de bonne qualité.

Key facts for pas mal
PropertyValue
Headwordpas mal
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdjective
IPA\pɑ mal\
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pas mal” sits in French frequency

pas mal 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.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The French entry for pas mal is 7 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \pɑ mal\. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No generated misspelling entries exist for pas mal in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is pas mal, spelled P-A-S- -M-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Plutôt bon ou de bonne qualité.
  2. 2
    Plutôt joli ; agréable à regarder.
  3. 3
    Beaucoup.

Synonyms

pas pire

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 "pas mal"?
"pas mal" is spelled P-A-S- -M-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is \pɑ mal\.
What does "pas mal" mean?
As an adjective, "pas mal" means: Plutôt bon ou de bonne qualité.
How do you pronounce "pas mal"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pas mal" is \pɑ mal\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "pas mal" come from?
"pas mal" 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 “pas mal”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is P-A-S- -M-A-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \pɑ mal\ (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