sensible

\sɑ̃.sibl\

/\sɑ̃.sibl\/ adj

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

The verdict

“sensible” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #3,169 in French word frequency and used as an adjective.

#3,169
frequency rank, French
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Qui a la faculté de recevoir les impressions physiques.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

sensible vs sensibles
89% similar
sensible vs sénile
63% similar

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

Key facts for sensible
PropertyValue
Headwordsensible
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdjective
IPA\sɑ̃.sibl\
Letters8
Frequency rank#3,169
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “sensible” 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). sensible 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 sensible is 8 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \sɑ̃.sibl\. Corpus data places it at rank #3,169 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for sensible, with forms such as "esnsible", "senisble", and "sennsible". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "sensibles", "sénile", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is sensible, spelled S-E-N-S-I-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Qui a la faculté de recevoir les impressions physiques.
  2. 2
    En parlant des impressions morales.
  3. 3
    Qui est aisément ému, touché, attendri.
  4. 4
    Qui se fait sentir ; qui fait impression sur les sens.
  5. 5
    En parlant des impressions morales.
  6. 6
    Qui se fait sentir ou qui se fait remarquer aisément.
  7. 7
    Qui marque les plus légères différences, les plus légères variations.
  8. 8
    Qui ne peut être dévoilé sans nuire aux entités qu'elle concerne.
  9. 9
    Mal famé.

Antonyms

insensible

This word in other languages

sensitive(English)sensible(Español)feinfühlig(Deutsch)sensível(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: esnsible,senisble,sennsible,sensbile,sensibble,sensibel,sensiblle,sensilbe,senssible,sesnible,snesible,ssensible

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

esnsible2senisble2sennsible1sensbile2sensibble1sensibel2sensiblle1sensilbe2
Edit distance from "sensible"

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 "sensible"?
"sensible" is spelled S-E-N-S-I-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is \sɑ̃.sibl\.
What does "sensible" mean?
As an adjective, "sensible" means: Qui a la faculté de recevoir les impressions physiques.
What words are commonly confused with "sensible"?
"sensible" is commonly confused with "sensibles", "sénile". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "sensible"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sensible" is \sɑ̃.sibl\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "sensible" come from?
"sensible" 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 “sensible”

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

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