performance

\pɛʁ.fɔʁ.mɑ̃s\

/\pɛʁ.fɔʁ.mɑ̃s\/ noun

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

The verdict

“performance” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #2,535 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,535
frequency rank, French
11
letters
17
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Manière dont s’est comporté un cheval dans une course.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

performance vs performant
82% similar
performance vs performants
82% similar
performance vs performante
91% similar

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

Key facts for performance
PropertyValue
Headwordperformance
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\pɛʁ.fɔʁ.mɑ̃s\
Letters11
Frequency rank#2,535
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “performance” 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). performance 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 performance is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \pɛʁ.fɔʁ.mɑ̃s\. Corpus data places it at rank #2,535 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for performance, with forms such as "eprformance", "pefrormance", and "perfformance". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "performant", "performants", "performante", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, 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 performance, spelled P-E-R-F-O-R-M-A-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Manière dont s’est comporté un cheval dans une course.
  2. 2
    Manière dont s’est comporté un cheval dans une course.
  3. 3
    Manière dont s’est comporté un cheval dans une course.
  4. 4
    Ensemble évalué, voire chiffré, des potentialités d’un appareil.
  5. 5
    Capacité à remplir efficacement sa mission.
  6. 6
    Dans l’approche chomskyenne, un exemple d’utilisation du langage par un locuteur en situation, opposée à la compétence.
  7. 7
    Action artistique entreprise par un ou des artistes en présence du public.
  8. 8
    Évènement artistique qui recourt à différents modes d’expression dont l’exécution constitue l’œuvre elle-même.

This word in other languages

performance(English)Vorführung(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: eprformance,pefrormance,perfformance,perfomrance,perforamnce,performacne,performancce,performanec,performannce,performmance,performnace,perforrmance,perfromance,perofrmance,perrformance,pperformance,preformance

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of performance - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

eprformance2pefrormance2perfformance1perfomrance2perforamnce2performacne2performancce1performanec2
Edit distance from "performance"

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 "performance"?
"performance" is spelled P-E-R-F-O-R-M-A-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is \pɛʁ.fɔʁ.mɑ̃s\.
What does "performance" mean?
As a noun, "performance" means: Manière dont s’est comporté un cheval dans une course.
What words are commonly confused with "performance"?
"performance" is commonly confused with "performant", "performants", "performante". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "performance"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "performance" is \pɛʁ.fɔʁ.mɑ̃s\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "performance" come from?
"performance" 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 “performance”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is P-E-R-F-O-R-M-A-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \pɛʁ.fɔʁ.mɑ̃s\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “performant” - see the side-by-side comparison. performance vs performant
  • 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