pointer son nez

\pwɛ̃.te sɔ̃ ne\

/\pwɛ̃.te sɔ̃ ne\/ verb

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

The verdict

“pointer son nez” is outside the top-ranked French vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
15
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Apparaître, se montrer, se faire voir.

Key facts for pointer son nez
PropertyValue
Headwordpointer son nez
LanguageFrench
Part of speechVerb
IPA\pwɛ̃.te sɔ̃ ne\
Letters15
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pointer son nez” sits in French frequency

pointer son nez falls outside the top-100,000 ranked French words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The French entry for pointer son nez is 15 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \pwɛ̃.te sɔ̃ ne\. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Apparaître, se montrer, se faire voir.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for pointer son nez, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is pointer son nez, spelled P-O-I-N-T-E-R- -S-O-N- -N-E-Z.

Definition

  1. 1
    Apparaître, se montrer, se faire voir.

Synonyms

pointer le bout de son nez

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 "pointer son nez"?
"pointer son nez" is spelled P-O-I-N-T-E-R- -S-O-N- -N-E-Z. The IPA pronunciation is \pwɛ̃.te sɔ̃ ne\.
What does "pointer son nez" mean?
As a verb, "pointer son nez" means: Apparaître, se montrer, se faire voir.
How do you pronounce "pointer son nez"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pointer son nez" is \pwɛ̃.te sɔ̃ ne\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "pointer son nez" come from?
"pointer son nez" 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 “pointer son nez”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is P-O-I-N-T-E-R- -S-O-N- -N-E-Z - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \pwɛ̃.te sɔ̃ ne\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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