soufre

\sufʁ\

/\sufʁ\/ noun

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

The verdict

“soufre” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #16,238 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#16,238
frequency rank, French
6
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Élément chimique de numéro atomique 16 et de symbole S qui fait partie des non-métaux, plus spécifiquement des chalcogènes.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

soufre vs sure
67% similar
soufre vs sour
67% similar
soufre vs sucre
67% similar

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

Key facts for soufre
PropertyValue
Headwordsoufre
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\sufʁ\
Letters6
Frequency rank#16,238
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “soufre” 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). soufre 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 soufre is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \sufʁ\. Corpus data places it at rank #16,238 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for soufre, with forms such as "osufre", "sofure", and "soufer". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "sure", "sour", "sucre", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Our source data has no etymology on file 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 soufre, spelled S-O-U-F-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Élément chimique de numéro atomique 16 et de symbole S qui fait partie des non-métaux, plus spécifiquement des chalcogènes.
  2. 2
    Le principal allotrope de cet élément, d’aspect jaune pâle, doux, léger et friable, inodore et insipide. Allié à l’hydrogène, il donne le sulfure d’hydrogène (H₂S), responsable de l’odeur caractéristique des œufs putréfiés. Chacun des autres allotropes.
  3. 3
    Cet élément mis en pulvérisation sur des cultures pour lutter contre l’oïdium.
  4. 4
    Atome (ou, par ellipse, noyau) de soufre.
  5. 5
    Les allotropes du soufre, dans leur ensemble.
  6. 6
    Un des principes alchimiques composant les métaux.
  7. 7
    Papillon de la famille des piérides, de couleur jaune, le Colia hyale.

This word in other languages

sulphur(English)azufre(Español)Schwefel(Deutsch)enxofre(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: osufre,sofure,soufer,soufrre,sourfe,ssoufre,suofre

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of soufre - 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.

osufre2sofure2soufer2soufrre1sourfe2ssoufre1suofre2
Edit distance from "soufre"

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 "soufre"?
"soufre" is spelled S-O-U-F-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is \sufʁ\.
What does "soufre" mean?
As a noun, "soufre" means: Élément chimique de numéro atomique 16 et de symbole S qui fait partie des non-métaux, plus spécifiquement des chalcogènes.
What words are commonly confused with "soufre"?
"soufre" is commonly confused with "sure", "sour", "sucre". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "soufre"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "soufre" is \sufʁ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "soufre" come from?
"soufre" 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.

Using “soufre”

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

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