pose

\poz\

/\poz\/ noun

The verdict

“pose” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #1,147 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,147
frequency rank, French
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Action de poser, de mettre en place.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

pose vs PS
0% similar
pose vs pré
25% similar
pose vs pot
50% similar

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

Key facts for pose
PropertyValue
Headwordpose
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\poz\
Letters4
Frequency rank#1,147
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pose” 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). pose 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 pose is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \poz\. Corpus data places it at rank #1,147 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for pose, with forms such as "opse", "poes", and "posse". 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, "PS", "pré", "pot", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct French form is pose, spelled P-O-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Action de poser, de mettre en place.
  2. 2
    Avantage qui consiste à jouer le premier dé au domino, au jacquet, etc.
  3. 3
    Manière de poser, en parlant de la voix.
  4. 4
    Action de se poser, manière de se tenir, attitude.
  5. 5
    Action de poser pour se faire peindre, photographier, etc.
  6. 6
    Attitude qu’un peintre, un sculpteur ou un photographe fait prendre à son modèle.
  7. 7
    Temps que dure la pose devant l’objectif.
  8. 8
    Affectation dans l’attitude, dans les paroles qui annonce l’intention de produire de l’effet.
  9. 9
    Ancienne unité d'aire en viticulture. C'est la surface qu'un ouvrier peut travailler en une journée. La dimension d'une pose, en nombre de mètres carrés, dépend donc des régions, suivant la nature du terrain.
  10. 10
    Quantité de produits imprimés sur une même planche.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: opse,poes,posse,ppose,psoe

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

opse2poes2posse1ppose1psoe2
Edit distance from "pose"

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 "pose"?
"pose" is spelled P-O-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is \poz\.
What does "pose" mean?
As a noun, "pose" means: Action de poser, de mettre en place.
What words are commonly confused with "pose"?
"pose" is commonly confused with "PS", "pré", "pot". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "pose"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pose" is \poz\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "pose" come from?
"pose" 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 “pose”

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

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