peigne

\pɛɲ\

/\pɛɲ\/ noun

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

The verdict

“peigne” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #19,363 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#19,363
frequency rank, French
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Instrument de buis, de corne, d’ivoire, de plastique, etc., qui est taillé en forme de dents et qui sert à démêler et à arranger les cheveux et la barbe.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

peigne vs pige
67% similar
peigne vs pine
67% similar
peigne vs peine
83% similar

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

Key facts for peigne
PropertyValue
Headwordpeigne
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\pɛɲ\
Letters6
Frequency rank#19,363
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “peigne” 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). peigne 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 peigne is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \pɛɲ\. Corpus data places it at rank #19,363 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for peigne, with forms such as "epigne", "pegine", and "peigen". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 16 confusable-pair relationships, "pige", "pine", "peine", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is peigne, spelled P-E-I-G-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Instrument de buis, de corne, d’ivoire, de plastique, etc., qui est taillé en forme de dents et qui sert à démêler et à arranger les cheveux et la barbe.
  2. 2
    Le même ustensile pour peigner les animaux.
  3. 3
    Ce même objet courbe à longues dents, dont les femmes se servent pour retenir leurs cheveux ou seulement pour orner leur coiffure.
  4. 4
    Dans un métier à tisser, élément ressemblant à un grand peigne à cheveux et permettant la distribution des fils de chaîne et le tassage du fil de trame après chaque passage de navette.
  5. 5
    Instrument de fer dont se servaient les cardeurs pour apprêter la laine, le chanvre, le lin, etc.
  6. 6
    Appareil pour peigner les fibres des tissus naturels.
  7. 7
    Genre de mollusques acéphale à coquille bivalve, dont certaines espèces, comme la coquille Saint-Jacques, sont comestibles.
  8. 8
    Accessoire de raccordement simplifiant généralement le câblage électrique de plusieurs composants d’encombrements similaires.
  9. 9
    Nom donné par analogie de forme à diverses parties anatomiques de certains animaux.

This word in other languages

comb(English)peine(Español)Kamm(Deutsch)pente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: epigne,pegine,peigen,peiggne,peignne,peinge,piegne,ppeigne

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of peigne - 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.

epigne2pegine2peigen2peiggne1peignne1peinge2piegne2ppeigne1
Edit distance from "peigne"

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 "peigne"?
"peigne" is spelled P-E-I-G-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is \pɛɲ\.
What does "peigne" mean?
As a noun, "peigne" means: Instrument de buis, de corne, d’ivoire, de plastique, etc., qui est taillé en forme de dents et qui sert à démêler et à arranger les cheveux et la barbe.
What words are commonly confused with "peigne"?
"peigne" is commonly confused with "pige", "pine", "peine". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "peigne"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "peigne" is \pɛɲ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "peigne" come from?
"peigne" 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 “peigne”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is P-E-I-G-N-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \pɛɲ\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “pige” - see the side-by-side comparison. peigne vs pige
  • 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