pont-levis

\pɔ̃.lə.vi\

/\pɔ̃.lə.vi\/ noun

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

The verdict

“pont-levis” is outside the top-ranked French vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Pont qui peut s’élever ou s’abaisser à volonté.

Key facts for pont-levis
PropertyValue
Headwordpont-levis
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\pɔ̃.lə.vi\
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pont-levis” sits in French frequency

pont-levis 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 pont-levis is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \pɔ̃.lə.vi\. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No generated misspelling entries exist for pont-levis in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is pont-levis, spelled P-O-N-T---L-E-V-I-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Pont qui peut s’élever ou s’abaisser à volonté.
  2. 2
    Petit pont établi sur le fossé, sur les douves d’un château et qu’on levait pour interdire l’entrée.

This word in other languages

drawbridge(English)Zugbrücke(Deutsch)

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 "pont-levis"?
"pont-levis" is spelled P-O-N-T---L-E-V-I-S. The IPA pronunciation is \pɔ̃.lə.vi\.
What does "pont-levis" mean?
As a noun, "pont-levis" means: Pont qui peut s’élever ou s’abaisser à volonté.
How do you pronounce "pont-levis"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pont-levis" is \pɔ̃.lə.vi\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "pont-levis" come from?
"pont-levis" 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 “pont-levis”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is P-O-N-T---L-E-V-I-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \pɔ̃.lə.vi\ (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