tenir en échec

\tə.niʁ‿ɑ̃.n‿e.ʃɛk\

/\tə.niʁ‿ɑ̃.n‿e.ʃɛk\/ verb

The verdict

“tenir en échec” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
14
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Empêcher quelqu’un d’agir, de se déterminer.

Corpus desk

Index FR-tenir-en-echec · tenir en échec · French

tenir en échec · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 14 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "T" 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 tenir en échec
PropertyValue
Headwordtenir en échec
LanguageFrench
Part of speechVerb
IPA\tə.niʁ‿ɑ̃.n‿e.ʃɛk\
Letters14
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Longue queue: rang de « tenir en échec » en français

tenir en échecsiège au-delà des 100.000 formes les plus fréquentes du français, dans la traîne du lexique spécialisé ou peu usité.

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

Rare enough to double-check

tenir en échec is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed \tə.niʁ‿ɑ̃.n‿e.ʃɛk\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Empêcher quelqu’un d’agir, de se déterminer.".

tenir en échec has no tracked misspelling variants, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is tenir en échec, spelled T-E-N-I-R- -E-N- -É-C-H-E-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    Empêcher quelqu’un d’agir, de se déterminer.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Face à une équipe brestoise très tonique, et au jeu limpide, les Lannionnais de Rémy Le Bourdoulous ont été tenus en échec (1-1), samedi en match de préparation.

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 "tenir en échec"?
"tenir en échec" is spelled T-E-N-I-R- -E-N- -É-C-H-E-C. The IPA pronunciation is \tə.niʁ‿ɑ̃.n‿e.ʃɛk\.
What does "tenir en échec" mean?
As a verb, "tenir en échec" means: Empêcher quelqu’un d’agir, de se déterminer.
How do you pronounce "tenir en échec"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tenir en échec" is \tə.niʁ‿ɑ̃.n‿e.ʃɛk\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "tenir en échec" come from?
"tenir en échec" 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