Shangri-La

\ʃɑ̃.ɡʁi.la\

/\ʃɑ̃.ɡʁi.la\/ name

The verdict

“Shangri-La” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Lieu imaginaire d’Asie.

Corpus desk

Index FR-shangri-la · Shangri-La · French

Shangri-La · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "S" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for Shangri-La
PropertyValue
HeadwordShangri-La
LanguageFrench
Part of speechProper noun
IPA\ʃɑ̃.ɡʁi.la\
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Longue queue: rang de « Shangri-La » en français

Shangri-Lan'entre pas dans le top 100.000 du français: zone de termes techniques, archaïques ou rares.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Shangri-La is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as aproper noun, transcribed \ʃɑ̃.ɡʁi.la\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Lieu imaginaire d’Asie.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for Shangri-La, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

No documented word history exists 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 Shangri-La, spelled S-H-A-N-G-R-I---L-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    Lieu imaginaire d’Asie.

This word in other languages

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 "Shangri-La"?
"Shangri-La" is spelled S-H-A-N-G-R-I---L-A. The IPA pronunciation is \ʃɑ̃.ɡʁi.la\.
What does "Shangri-La" mean?
As a proper noun, "Shangri-La" means: Lieu imaginaire d’Asie.
How do you pronounce "Shangri-La"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Shangri-La" is \ʃɑ̃.ɡʁi.la\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Shangri-La" come from?
"Shangri-La" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list