pincer

\pɛ̃.se\

/\pɛ̃.se\/ verb

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

The verdict

“pincer” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #30,739 in French word frequency and used as a verb.

#30,739
frequency rank, French
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Serrer fortement avec une pince, avec des tenailles ou autres instruments semblables.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

pincer vs pine
67% similar
pincer vs piper
67% similar
pincer vs pinte
67% similar

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

Key facts for pincer
PropertyValue
Headwordpincer
LanguageFrench
Part of speechVerb
IPA\pɛ̃.se\
Letters6
Frequency rank#30,739
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pincer” 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). pincer 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 pincer is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \pɛ̃.se\. Corpus data places it at rank #30,739 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 17 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for pincer, with forms such as "ipncer", "picner", and "pinccer". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "pine", "piper", "pinte", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is pincer, spelled P-I-N-C-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Serrer fortement avec une pince, avec des tenailles ou autres instruments semblables.
  2. 2
    Serrer fortement avec des doigts, ou un objet, conçu comme une pince, ou autre chose.
  3. 3
    Rapprocher en serrant fortement.
  4. 4
    Causer une douleur, produire une sensation vive et désagréable.
  5. 5
    Causer une vive douleur morale.
  6. 6
    Surprendre, saisir, prendre sur le fait.
  7. 7
    Être puni de quelque imprudence qu’on a faite.
  8. 8
    Être amoureux, aimer.
  9. 9
    Faire vibrer les cordes d’un instrument en les serrant et les tirant avec les doigts.
  10. 10
    Couper, généralement avec le bout des doigts ou avec l’ongle, une partie de plante pour empêcher qu’elle ne pousse trop au détriment d’autres ou éliminer des parties malades ou parasitées.
  11. 11
    Approcher l’éperon du flanc du cheval, sans donner de coup ni appuyer.
  12. 12
    Aller au plus près du vent.
  13. 13
    Faire rissoler fortement.
  14. 14
    Utiliser le pince-pâte sur les bords d’une tarte.
  15. 15
    Mettre les menottes.
  16. 16
    Morsure d’animal pas violente.
  17. 17
    Attraper une maladie.

This word in other languages

strum(English)pinchar(Español)kneifen(Deutsch)beliscar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ipncer,picner,pinccer,pincerr,pincre,pinecr,pinncer,pnicer,ppincer

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ipncer2picner2pinccer1pincerr1pincre2pinecr2pinncer1pnicer2
Edit distance from "pincer"

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 "pincer"?
"pincer" is spelled P-I-N-C-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is \pɛ̃.se\.
What does "pincer" mean?
As a verb, "pincer" means: Serrer fortement avec une pince, avec des tenailles ou autres instruments semblables.
What words are commonly confused with "pincer"?
"pincer" is commonly confused with "pine", "piper", "pinte". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "pincer"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pincer" is \pɛ̃.se\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "pincer" come from?
"pincer" 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 “pincer”

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

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