pélican

\pe.li.kɑ̃\

/\pe.li.kɑ̃\/ noun

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

The verdict

“pélican” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #46,974 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#46,974
frequency rank, French
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Oiseau palmipède aquatique, à bec long, large et plat, et dont la mandibule inférieure présente une sorte de poche extensible dans laquelle il met en réserve des aliments pour lui et pour ses petits.

Key facts for pélican
PropertyValue
Headwordpélican
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\pe.li.kɑ̃\
Letters7
Frequency rank#46,974
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pélican” 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). pélican 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 pélican is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \pe.li.kɑ̃\. Corpus data places it at rank #46,974 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for pélican, with forms such as "pelican", "pléican", and "ppélican". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is pélican, spelled P-É-L-I-C-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Oiseau palmipède aquatique, à bec long, large et plat, et dont la mandibule inférieure présente une sorte de poche extensible dans laquelle il met en réserve des aliments pour lui et pour ses petits.
  2. 2
    Meuble représentant l’animal du même nom dans les armoiries. Il est généralement représenté sur son aire se déchirant la poitrine avec son bec pour nourrir de son sang trois oisillons, ses ailes sont éployées. Le sang est représenté par des gouttes. On peut rencontrer deux interprétations. Selon la première, les gouttes sont appelées piété. Selon la seconde, la couleur des gouttes est donnée par la qualification d’ensanglanté ou dégoutant. Voir piété.
  3. 3
    Cornue à col recourbé.
  4. 4
    Instrument de chirurgie qui sert à arracher les dents.

This word in other languages

pelican(English)pelícano(Español)Pelikan(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: pelican,pléican,ppélican,péilcan,pélcian,péliacn,pélicann,péliccan,pélicna,péllican,éplican

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

pelican1pléican2ppélican1péilcan2pélcian2péliacn2pélicann1péliccan1
Edit distance from "pélican"

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 "pélican"?
"pélican" is spelled P-É-L-I-C-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is \pe.li.kɑ̃\.
What does "pélican" mean?
As a noun, "pélican" means: Oiseau palmipède aquatique, à bec long, large et plat, et dont la mandibule inférieure présente une sorte de poche extensible dans laquelle il met en réserve des aliments pour lui et pour ses petits.
What are common misspellings of "pélican"?
Common misspellings include "pelican", "pléican", "ppélican", "péilcan", "pélcian". The correct spelling is "pélican".
How do you pronounce "pélican"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pélican" is \pe.li.kɑ̃\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "pélican" come from?
"pélican" is a French word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “pélican”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is P-É-L-I-C-A-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \pe.li.kɑ̃\ (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