trèfle

\tʁɛfl\

/\tʁɛfl\/ noun

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

The verdict

“trèfle” has 10 generated spelling variants in the French index at frequency #22,449. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#22,449
frequency rank, French
164,488
“T” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
12
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Nom usuel des plantes du genre Trifolium, plantes herbacées de la famille des Fabaceae (Fabacées), dont les feuilles sont formées de 3 (rarement 4 ou plus) folioles rondes.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

trèfle vs trêve
50% similar
trèfle vs trente
50% similar
trèfle vs triple
67% similar

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

Key facts for trèfle
PropertyValue
Headwordtrèfle
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\tʁɛfl\
Letters6
Frequency rank#22,449
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs12
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “trèfle” 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). trèfle 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 10 spelling variants around trèfle (IPA \tʁɛfl\), anoun. Corpus frequency is #22,449 among 164,488 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for trèfle, with forms such as "rtèfle", "trefle", and "trfèle". 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 12 confusable-pair relationships, "trêve", "trente", "triple", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No documented word history exists for this headword, 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 trèfle, spelled T-R-È-F-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Nom usuel des plantes du genre Trifolium, plantes herbacées de la famille des Fabaceae (Fabacées), dont les feuilles sont formées de 3 (rarement 4 ou plus) folioles rondes.
  2. 2
    Non donné à diverses plantes n’appartenant pas au genre Trifolium ni même parfois à la même famille, mais qui ont un aspect similaire.
  3. 3
    Une des quatre enseignes des cartes françaises, ainsi nommée parce que les cartes de cette couleur sont marquées de feuilles de trèfle noire stylisées (♣).
  4. 4
    Ornement imité de la feuille de trèfle représentant la Trinité.
  5. 5
    Croisement en trèfle.
  6. 6
    Argent.
  7. 7
    Tabac grossier.
  8. 8
    Groupe de trois pions de la même couleur.

This word in other languages

clover(English)trébol(Español)Klee(Deutsch)trevo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • rtèfle
  • trefle
  • trfèle
  • trrèfle
  • trèfel
  • trèffle
  • trèflle
  • trèlfe
  • ttrèfle
  • tèrfle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

rtèfle2trefle1trfèle2trrèfle1trèfel2trèffle1trèflle1trèlfe2
Edit distance from "trèfle"

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 "trèfle"?
"trèfle" is spelled T-R-È-F-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is \tʁɛfl\.
What does "trèfle" mean?
As a noun, "trèfle" means: Nom usuel des plantes du genre Trifolium, plantes herbacées de la famille des Fabaceae (Fabacées), dont les feuilles sont formées de 3 (rarement 4 ou plus) folioles rondes.
What words are commonly confused with "trèfle"?
"trèfle" is commonly confused with "trêve", "trente", "triple". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "trèfle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "trèfle" is \tʁɛfl\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "trèfle" come from?
"trèfle" 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 “trèfle”

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

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