plâtre

\plɑtʁ\

/\plɑtʁ\/ noun

The verdict

“plâtre” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #12,445 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#12,445
frequency rank, French
6
letters
10
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Gypse qui se trouve par couches dans le sein de la terre.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

plâtre vs plats
50% similar
plâtre vs prêtre
67% similar
plâtre vs pleuré
50% similar

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

Key facts for plâtre
PropertyValue
Headwordplâtre
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\plɑtʁ\
Letters6
Frequency rank#12,445
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “plâtre” 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). plâtre 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 plâtre is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \plɑtʁ\. Corpus data places it at rank #12,445 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for plâtre, with forms such as "lpâtre", "platre", and "pllâtre". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "plats", "prêtre", "pleuré", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. For readers arriving here from a spelling check, the authoritative guidance is: the correct French form is plâtre, spelled P-L-Â-T-R-E, and any other sequence of those letters, regardless of how natural it feels, is a misspelling in standard orthography.

Definition

  1. 1
    Gypse qui se trouve par couches dans le sein de la terre.
  2. 2
    Les divers produits de transformation du gypse cuit au four puis réduit en poudres, associés à divers additifs que l'homme de l'art emploie gâché, c'est-à-dire délayé avec de l’eau et malaxé vigoureusement, pour former un liant afin de joindre les pierres ou les moellons, créer une couche pâteuse lissée en enduits, une masse molle et plastique afin de mouler des statues, des ornements d’architecture, etc.
  3. 3
    Les plâtres d’une maison, Tout le plâtre employé dans sa construction; et particulièrement Les légers ouvrages de plâtre, tels que ravalements, corniches, languettes de cheminées, scellements, etc.
  4. 4
    Tout ouvrage moulé en plâtre.
  5. 5
    Moulage pour permettre la reconstruction des os cassés.
  6. 6
    Poudre, blanc (maquillage).
  7. 7
    Argent.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: lpâtre,platre,pllâtre,pltâre,plârte,plâter,plâtrre,plâttre,pplâtre,pâltre

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

lpâtre2platre1pllâtre1pltâre2plârte2plâter2plâtrre1plâttre1
Edit distance from "plâtre"

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.

Cite this page

Free to reuse with attribution (CC BY-SA). Copy the citation:

PlainSpell, “plâtre, French word data” (May 6, 2026). Derived from Wiktionary (kaikki.org, CC BY-SA) and an open word-frequency list. https://plainspell.com/fr/mot/platre

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "plâtre"?
"plâtre" is spelled P-L-Â-T-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is \plɑtʁ\.
What does "plâtre" mean?
As a noun, "plâtre" means: Gypse qui se trouve par couches dans le sein de la terre.
What words are commonly confused with "plâtre"?
"plâtre" is commonly confused with "plats", "prêtre", "pleuré". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "plâtre"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "plâtre" is \plɑtʁ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "plâtre" come from?
"plâtre" is a French word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “plâtre”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is P-L-Â-T-R-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \plɑtʁ\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “plats” - see the side-by-side comparison. plâtre vs plats
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words

Nearby French words

Other entries that begin with the letter P in our French index:

Explore PlainSpell

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