pellicule

\pɛ.li.kyl\

/\pɛ.li.kyl\/ noun

The verdict

“pellicule” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #17,508 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#17,508
frequency rank, French
9
letters
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Petite peau, peau extrêmement mince et déliée.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

pellicule vs pellicules
90% similar

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

Key facts for pellicule
PropertyValue
Headwordpellicule
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\pɛ.li.kyl\
Letters9
Frequency rank#17,508
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pellicule” 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). pellicule 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 pellicule is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \pɛ.li.kyl\. Corpus data places it at rank #17,508 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 pellicule, with forms such as "epllicule", "pelicule", and "pelilcule". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "pellicules", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct French form is pellicule, spelled P-E-L-L-I-C-U-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Petite peau, peau extrêmement mince et déliée.
  2. 2
    Cellule superficielle du cuir chevelu ayant desquamé.
  3. 3
    Couche fine à la surface d’un liquide ou d’un solide.
  4. 4
    Feuille souple, de matière plastique, sur laquelle se forme le négatif de l’image.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: epllicule,pelicule,pelilcule,pellciule,pelliccule,pelliclue,pellicuel,pelliculle,pelliucle,plelicule,ppellicule

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of pellicule - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

epllicule2pelicule1pelilcule2pellciule2pelliccule1pelliclue2pellicuel2pelliculle1
Edit distance from "pellicule"

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 "pellicule"?
"pellicule" is spelled P-E-L-L-I-C-U-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is \pɛ.li.kyl\.
What does "pellicule" mean?
As a noun, "pellicule" means: Petite peau, peau extrêmement mince et déliée.
What words are commonly confused with "pellicule"?
"pellicule" is commonly confused with "pellicules". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "pellicule"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pellicule" is \pɛ.li.kyl\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "pellicule" come from?
"pellicule" 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 “pellicule”

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

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