spécifique

\spe.si.fik\

/\spe.si.fik\/ adj

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

The verdict

“spécifique” has 15 generated spelling variants in the French index at frequency #3,226. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#3,226
frequency rank, French
394,209
“S” headwords
15
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - [Postposé] Qui est propre à quelque chose ou à quelqu’un en particulier.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

spécifique vs spécifiques
91% similar
spécifique vs spécifie
80% similar

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

Key facts for spécifique
PropertyValue
Headwordspécifique
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdjective
IPA\spe.si.fik\
Letters10
Frequency rank#3,226
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “spécifique” 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). spécifique lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around spécifique (IPA \spe.si.fik\), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #3,226 among 394,209 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for spécifique, with forms such as "psécifique", "spcéifique", and "specifique". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "spécifiques", "spécifie", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, 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 spécifique, spelled S-P-É-C-I-F-I-Q-U-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    [Postposé] Qui est propre à quelque chose ou à quelqu’un en particulier.
  2. 2
    Qualifie le nom ou l’adjectif qui est ajouté au nom générique pour distinguer chaque espèce du genre.
  3. 3
    Qui concerne un nombre restreint d’espèces particulières.
  4. 4
    Qualifie le poids ou la masse de l’unité de volume primaire d’un corps.
  5. 5
    (plus généralement) Qualifie une grandeur extensive dont la valeur est exprimée par rapport à une mesure d'extension tel la masse, le volume.
  6. 6
    [Suivi de la préposition à ou de] Qui est particulier à, propre à quelque chose ou à quelqu’un.

This word in other languages

specific(English)específico(Español)spezifisch(Deutsch)específico(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • psécifique
  • spcéifique
  • specifique
  • sppécifique
  • spéccifique
  • spécfiique
  • spéciffique
  • spécifiqeu
  • spécifiqque
  • spécifiuqe
  • spécifqiue
  • spéciifque
  • spéicfique
  • sspécifique
  • sépcifique

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

psécifique2spcéifique2specifique1sppécifique1spéccifique1spécfiique2spéciffique1spécifiqeu2
Edit distance from "spécifique"

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 "spécifique"?
"spécifique" is spelled S-P-É-C-I-F-I-Q-U-E. The IPA pronunciation is \spe.si.fik\.
What does "spécifique" mean?
As an adjective, "spécifique" means: [Postposé] Qui est propre à quelque chose ou à quelqu’un en particulier.
What words are commonly confused with "spécifique"?
"spécifique" is commonly confused with "spécifiques", "spécifie". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "spécifique"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "spécifique" is \spe.si.fik\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "spécifique" come from?
"spécifique" 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 “spécifique”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is S-P-É-C-I-F-I-Q-U-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \spe.si.fik\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “spécifiques” - see the side-by-side comparison. spécifique vs spécifiques
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words

Same frequency band

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