pointe

\pwɛ̃t\

/\pwɛ̃t\/ noun

The verdict

“pointe” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #1,883 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,883
frequency rank, French
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Extrémité piquante et aigüe de quelque chose que ce soit.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

pointe vs pont
67% similar
pointe vs pote
67% similar
pointe vs porte
67% similar

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

Key facts for pointe
PropertyValue
Headwordpointe
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\pwɛ̃t\
Letters6
Frequency rank#1,883
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pointe” 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). pointe 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 pointe is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \pwɛ̃t\. Corpus data places it at rank #1,883 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 26 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for pointe, with forms such as "opinte", "pionte", and "poinet". 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, "pont", "pote", "porte", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct French form is pointe, spelled P-O-I-N-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Extrémité piquante et aigüe de quelque chose que ce soit.
  2. 2
    Instrument de fer ou d’acier qui servent à différents usages.
  3. 3
    Manière d’opérer avec la pointe.
  4. 4
    Petit clou long et mince, sans tête ou à tête très petite.
  5. 5
    Bout, extrémité des choses qui vont diminuant.
  6. 6
    La pointe des pieds.
  7. 7
    Pointe de danse, chausson renforcé à l’extrémité, pour danser en pointe.
  8. 8
    Espace de terre qui s’avance dans la mer.
  9. 9
    Partie d'un territoire qui s'enfonce dans celui d'un pays voisin.
  10. 10
    Extrémité de l’aile d’un bataillon.
  11. 11
    Une des parties qui forment le bas de l’arçon d’une selle.
  12. 12
    L’angle d'un bastion, le plus avancé du côté de la campagne.
  13. 13
    Dépassement de courte durée ajoutée à un changement de voltage à sens unique.
  14. 14
    Extrémité mobile d’une aiguille ferroviaire.
  15. 15
    Partie basse de l’écu.
  16. 16
    Nom donné à une pièce triangulaire dont le sommet touche le centre du chef de l’écu et la base occupe un quart de la largeur de l’écu et est centré sur la pointe (sens précédent).
  17. 17
    Emplacement d’élément(s) dans l’écu, voir en pointe.
  18. 18
    Morceau d’étoffe ou de linge, taillé en pointe, que l’on coud sur les côtés d’une jupe ou d’une chemise de femme, entre le devant et le derrière, pour donner plus de tour, plus d’ampleur au vêtement.
  19. 19
    Petite quantité d’un assaisonnement piquant et agréable.
  20. 20
    Un peu d'un sentiment.
  21. 21
    Trait d’esprit recherché, subtil, piquant.
  22. 22
    Vol d’un oiseau de proie qui s’élève vers le ciel.
  23. 23
    Fichu en forme de pointe.
  24. 24
    Lacet d’un vêtement.
  25. 25
    Personne douée dans un ou plusieurs domaines intellectuels.
  26. 26
    Accessoire surmontant un casque militaire prussien.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: opinte,pionte,poinet,poinnte,pointte,poitne,ponite,ppointe

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

opinte2pionte2poinet2poinnte1pointte1poitne2ponite2ppointe1
Edit distance from "pointe"

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 "pointe"?
"pointe" is spelled P-O-I-N-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is \pwɛ̃t\.
What does "pointe" mean?
As a noun, "pointe" means: Extrémité piquante et aigüe de quelque chose que ce soit.
What words are commonly confused with "pointe"?
"pointe" is commonly confused with "pont", "pote", "porte". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "pointe"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pointe" is \pwɛ̃t\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "pointe" come from?
"pointe" 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 “pointe”

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

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