pousser

Name: pousser, French Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

\pu.se\

/\pu.se\/ verb

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“pousser” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #2,892 in French word frequency and used as a verb.

#2,892
frequency rank, French: 7
letters: 8
tracked misspellings: 17
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Faire pression contre quelqu’un ou contre quelque chose, pour le déplacer ou l’ôter de sa place.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

pousser vs Prusse

57% similar

pousser vs puiser

71% similar

pousser vs presser

71% similar

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

Key facts for pousser
Property	Value
Headword	pousser
Language	French
Part of speech	Verb
IPA	\pu.se\
Letters	7
Frequency rank	#2,892
Misspellings tracked	8
Confusable pairs	17
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pousser” 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). pousser lands here:

#2,892

#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 pousser is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \pu.se\. Corpus data places it at rank #2,892 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 25 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 pousser, with forms such as "opusser", "posuser", and "pouser". 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 17 confusable-pair relationships, "Prusse", "puiser", "presser", 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 its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct French form is pousser, spelled P-O-U-S-S-E-R.

Definition

1
Faire pression contre quelqu’un ou contre quelque chose, pour le déplacer ou l’ôter de sa place.
2
Toucher doucement pour avertir quelqu’un de quelque chose ou pour lui faire prendre garde à quelque chose.
3
Imprimer quelque mouvement à un corps, soit en le lançant, soit en le frappant.
4
Porter un coup.
5
Imprimer sur le cuir des ornements, par le moyen de roulettes ou de fers à dorer.
6
Sortir avec force en parlant des paroles, des sons.
7
Porter plus loin ; reculer.
8
Prolonger ; étendre.
9
Presser, attaquer, choquer quelqu’un.
10
Engager fortement, inciter quelqu’un.
11
Porter en avant quelqu’un, le faire avancer.
12
Faire faire des progrès, en parlant d’un écolier, d’un élève.
13
Faire donner tout l’effort dont il est capable, en parlant de choses ou d’animaux.
14
Porter, étendre, en parlant des choses.
15
Faire croître, faire se développer, en parlant des arbres, des plantes, des racines, des branches, des fleurs, etc.
16
Offrir un prix d'achat plus élevé lors d’une vente aux enchères.
17
Croître, se développer, en parlant des végétaux, mais aussi des parties du corps.
18
Exercer une poussée, une pression, en parlant des terres, des voûtes, etc., par leur poids, s’appuient contre les constructions destinées à les soutenir.
19
Se porter en avant, s’avancer.
20
Continuer sa route, sa marche.
21
Avoir la respiration difficile, en parlant des chevaux.
22
Exagérer, abuser.
23
Exercer une contraction musculaire pour faciliter la défécation, l’accouchement.
24
Se mettre en avant.
25
Envoyer un élément vers une machine distante.

This word in other languages

push(English)empujar(Español)drücken(Deutsch)expulsar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: opusser,posuser,pouser,pousesr,pousserr,poussre,ppousser,puosser

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of pousser - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

Edit distance from "pousser"

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 "pousser"?

"pousser" is spelled P-O-U-S-S-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is \pu.se\.

What does "pousser" mean?

As a verb, "pousser" means: Faire pression contre quelqu’un ou contre quelque chose, pour le déplacer ou l’ôter de sa place.

What words are commonly confused with "pousser"?

"pousser" is commonly confused with "Prusse", "puiser", "presser". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "pousser"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pousser" is \pu.se\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.

What language does "pousser" come from?

"pousser" is a French word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.

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 “pousser”

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

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