rigole

\ʁi.ɡɔl\

/\ʁi.ɡɔl\/ noun

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

The verdict

“rigole” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #7,234 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#7,234
frequency rank, French
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
15
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Petit canal creusé dans la terre ou dans la pierre, pour faire couler l’eau à travers un jardin, un pré, etc.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

rigole vs rôle
50% similar
rigole vs rigolo
83% similar
rigole vs rivale
67% similar

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

Key facts for rigole
PropertyValue
Headwordrigole
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ʁi.ɡɔl\
Letters6
Frequency rank#7,234
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs15
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “rigole” 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). rigole 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 rigole is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ʁi.ɡɔl\. Corpus data places it at rank #7,234 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 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 rigole, with forms such as "irgole", "rgiole", and "riggole". 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 15 confusable-pair relationships, "rôle", "rigolo", "rivale", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct French form is rigole, spelled R-I-G-O-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Petit canal creusé dans la terre ou dans la pierre, pour faire couler l’eau à travers un jardin, un pré, etc.
  2. 2
    Creux, rainure ou sillon produit accidentellement le plus souvent par un élément météorologique.
  3. 3
    Sillon.
  4. 4
    Filet de liquide, généralement d'eau, qui coule, ruisselle sur une surface.
  5. 5
    Tranchée où l’on sème des graines; où l’on dispose des jeunes plants.

Synonyms

tourne

This word in other languages

drain(English)acequia(Español)Wassergraben(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: irgole,rgiole,riggole,rigloe,rigoel,rigolle,riogle,rrigole

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

irgole2rgiole2riggole1rigloe2rigoel2rigolle1riogle2rrigole1
Edit distance from "rigole"

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 "rigole"?
"rigole" is spelled R-I-G-O-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is \ʁi.ɡɔl\.
What does "rigole" mean?
As a noun, "rigole" means: Petit canal creusé dans la terre ou dans la pierre, pour faire couler l’eau à travers un jardin, un pré, etc.
What words are commonly confused with "rigole"?
"rigole" is commonly confused with "rôle", "rigolo", "rivale". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "rigole"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "rigole" is \ʁi.ɡɔl\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "rigole" come from?
"rigole" 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 “rigole”

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

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