tableau

\ta.blo\

/\ta.blo\/ noun

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

The verdict

“tableau” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #1,279 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,279
frequency rank, French
7
letters
9
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Peinture déplaçable exécuté sur un panneau de bois, sur une plaque de cuivre, sur une toile tendue sur un châssis, etc.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

tableau vs tables
71% similar
tableau vs taureau
71% similar
tableau vs tableur
71% similar

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

Key facts for tableau
PropertyValue
Headwordtableau
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ta.blo\
Letters7
Frequency rank#1,279
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tableau” 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). tableau 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 tableau is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ta.blo\. Corpus data places it at rank #1,279 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 17 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for tableau, with forms such as "atbleau", "tabbleau", and "tabelau". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "tables", "taureau", "tableur", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is tableau, spelled T-A-B-L-E-A-U.

Definition

  1. 1
    Peinture déplaçable exécuté sur un panneau de bois, sur une plaque de cuivre, sur une toile tendue sur un châssis, etc.
  2. 2
    Vue dont l’aspect fait une impression pittoresque ou pénible.
  3. 3
    Représentation naturelle et frappante d’une chose, par oral ou par écrit.
  4. 4
    Ellipse ironique de "Quel tableau !" servant à exprimer le caractère ridicule ou embarrassant d'une situation.
  5. 5
    Division de l’acte, marquée par le changement de décor.
  6. 6
    Liste nominative.
  7. 7
    Représentation de données à deux dimensions, pour être vue d’un coup d’œil.
  8. 8
    Structure de données à une ou plusieurs dimensions : variable contenant le plus souvent plusieurs cellules, parfois organisées en plusieurs dimensions.
  9. 9
    Panonceau fixé, en un lieu apparent, pour y afficher des annonces, des actes publics.
  10. 10
    Panneau de bois, noirci, sur lequel on trace avec de la craie des caractères, des figures, etc., et qui est principalement en usage dans les classes, dans les écoles.
  11. 11
    Partie plane de l’arrière, où figure le nom du navire.
  12. 12
    Partie de l’encadrement d’une baie de porte ou de fenêtre, qui est en dehors de la fermeture.
  13. 13
    Exposition ou dénombrement des pièces de gibier tuées au cours d’une chasse.
  14. 14
    Groupement dans un cadre des divers signaux, commutateurs, commandes, etc.
  15. 15
    Au trictrac, ensemble des deux tables de jeu.
  16. 16
    Armoire ou coffret électrique.
  17. 17
    Ensemble des symptômes et des informations sur le patient permettant d’établir ou de préciser le diagnostic.

Synonyms

cadretoiletable

This word in other languages

painting(English)cuadro(Español)Bild(Deutsch)quadro(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: atbleau,tabbleau,tabelau,tablaeu,tableua,tablleau,talbeau,tbaleau,ttableau

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of tableau - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

atbleau2tabbleau1tabelau2tablaeu2tableua2tablleau1talbeau2tbaleau2
Edit distance from "tableau"

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 "tableau"?
"tableau" is spelled T-A-B-L-E-A-U. The IPA pronunciation is \ta.blo\.
What does "tableau" mean?
As a noun, "tableau" means: Peinture déplaçable exécuté sur un panneau de bois, sur une plaque de cuivre, sur une toile tendue sur un châssis, etc.
What words are commonly confused with "tableau"?
"tableau" is commonly confused with "tables", "taureau", "tableur". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "tableau"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tableau" is \ta.blo\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "tableau" come from?
"tableau" 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 “tableau”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is T-A-B-L-E-A-U - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ta.blo\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “tables” - see the side-by-side comparison. tableau vs tables
  • 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