tour de cou

\tuʁ də ku\

/\tuʁ də ku\/ noun

The verdict

“tour de cou” is outside the top-ranked French vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Accessoire vestimentaire en plumes ou en fourrure entourant le cou, appelé aussi boa.

Key facts for tour de cou
PropertyValue
Headwordtour de cou
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\tuʁ də ku\
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tour de cou” sits in French frequency

tour de cou falls outside the top-100,000 ranked French words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The French entry for tour de cou is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \tuʁ də ku\. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for tour de cou, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

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 tour de cou, spelled T-O-U-R- -D-E- -C-O-U.

Definition

  1. 1
    Accessoire vestimentaire en plumes ou en fourrure entourant le cou, appelé aussi boa.
  2. 2
    Vêtement que l’on enfile par la tête pour le porter autour du cou.
  3. 3
    Coussin circulaire que l’on porte pour caler le cou.
  4. 4
    Sangle portée autour du cou afin de transporter une clé, un badge.
  5. 5
    Encolure ou mesure de la circonférence du cou.
  6. 6
    Taille d'une chemise.
  7. 7
    Collier ras-de-cou.

This word in other languages

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 "tour de cou"?
"tour de cou" is spelled T-O-U-R- -D-E- -C-O-U. The IPA pronunciation is \tuʁ də ku\.
What does "tour de cou" mean?
As a noun, "tour de cou" means: Accessoire vestimentaire en plumes ou en fourrure entourant le cou, appelé aussi boa.
How do you pronounce "tour de cou"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tour de cou" is \tuʁ də ku\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "tour de cou" come from?
"tour de cou" 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 “tour de cou”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is T-O-U-R- -D-E- -C-O-U - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \tuʁ də ku\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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