philtrum

\fil.tʁɔm\

/\fil.tʁɔm\/ noun

The verdict

“philtrum” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Chez l’Humain, repli en forme de gouttière qui relie la base du nez à la lèvre supérieure, au niveau de l’arc de Cupidon.

Corpus desk

Index FR-philtrum · philtrum · French

philtrum · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "P" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for philtrum
PropertyValue
Headwordphiltrum
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\fil.tʁɔm\
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Longue queue: rang de « philtrum » en français

philtrumn'entre pas dans le top 100.000 du français: zone de termes techniques, archaïques ou rares.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

philtrum is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed \fil.tʁɔm\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

philtrum has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is philtrum, spelled P-H-I-L-T-R-U-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    Chez l’Humain, repli en forme de gouttière qui relie la base du nez à la lèvre supérieure, au niveau de l’arc de Cupidon.
  2. 2
    Chez certains mammifères qui possèdent un rhinarium, fente allant du milieu des narines jusqu’au milieu de la lèvre supérieure.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how philtrum appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Le bourgeon frontal est ainsi à l’origine du développement de l’auvent nasal, de la columelle et du philtrum de la lèvre supérieure (unité labio-columellaire).

Synonyms

doigt de l’angephiltresillon naso-labial

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "philtrum"?
"philtrum" is spelled P-H-I-L-T-R-U-M. The IPA pronunciation is \fil.tʁɔm\.
What does "philtrum" mean?
As a noun, "philtrum" means: Chez l’Humain, repli en forme de gouttière qui relie la base du nez à la lèvre supérieure, au niveau de l’arc de Cupidon.
How do you pronounce "philtrum"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "philtrum" is \fil.tʁɔm\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "philtrum" come from?
"philtrum" 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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list