somber

adj

The verdict

“somber” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Sombre, obscur, foncé.

Corpus desk

Index FR-somber · somber · French

somber · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 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 somber
PropertyValue
Headwordsomber
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdjective
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Longue queue: rang de « somber » en français

sombern'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

somber is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for somber in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is somber, spelled S-O-M-B-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Sombre, obscur, foncé.
  2. 2
    Sombre, triste, morose, maussade.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how somber appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. somber maken : assombrir.
  2. somber gestemd zijn : broyer du noir.

Synonyms

betrokkenbewolktdonkermistroostignaargeestigtriestigtroosteloos

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 "somber"?
"somber" is spelled S-O-M-B-E-R.
What does "somber" mean?
As an adjective, "somber" means: Sombre, obscur, foncé.
What language does "somber" come from?
"somber" 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list