pdl

symbol

The verdict

“pdl” is uncommon French (frequency #58,826 among 248,534 “P” headwords), classed as a symbol. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#58,826
frequency rank, French
248,534
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Symbole du poundal, unité de mesure de force anglo-saxonne.

Key facts for pdl
PropertyValue
Headwordpdl
LanguageFrench
Part of speechSymbol
Letters3
Frequency rank#58,826
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pdl” 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). pdl 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

pdl is uncommon French at frequency #58,826 among 248,534 “P” headwords, classed as asymbol. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Symbole du poundal, unité de mesure de force anglo-saxonne.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for pdl, a sign its spelling follows regular French conventions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is pdl, spelled P-D-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Symbole du poundal, unité de mesure de force anglo-saxonne.

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 "pdl"?
"pdl" is spelled P-D-L.
What does "pdl" mean?
As a symbol, "pdl" means: Symbole du poundal, unité de mesure de force anglo-saxonne.
What language does "pdl" come from?
"pdl" 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 “pdl”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is P-D-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list