œuf

\œf\

/\œf\/ noun

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

The verdict

“œuf” sits in 20 confusable pairs (corpus #7,512) as a noun. The look-alike neighbours are the real trap.

#7,512
frequency rank, French
749
“Œ” headwords
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Structure reproductrice produite par les animaux ovipares (oiseaux, reptiles, amphibiens, insectes, etc.) ou par d’autres animaux, formée dans les ovaires ou les oviductes, et comprenant un zygote ...

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

œuf vs un
33% similar
œuf vs up
33% similar
œuf vs UK
0% similar

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

Key facts for œuf
PropertyValue
Headwordœuf
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\œf\
Letters3
Frequency rank#7,512
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “œuf” 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). œuf lands here:

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

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

Easy to mix with look-alikes

The spelling risk for œuf is neighbouring look-alikes ("un", "up", …), not just typos; it is anoun pronounced \œf\. Frequency #7,512 among 749 “Œ” headwords. 10 recorded senses keep meaning in play.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for œuf, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "un", "up", "UK", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct French form is œuf, spelled Œ-U-F.

Definition

  1. 1
    Structure reproductrice produite par les animaux ovipares (oiseaux, reptiles, amphibiens, insectes, etc.) ou par d’autres animaux, formée dans les ovaires ou les oviductes, et comprenant un zygote ou un embryon en développement entouré de réserves nutritives (vitellus) et d’enveloppes protectrices. Elle permet le développement de l’embryon à l’extérieur du corps de la mère ou dans l’environnement.
  2. 2
    Cet ovule utilisé comme aliment ou comme composant culinaire.
  3. 3
    Zygote (aussi appelé cellule-œuf).
  4. 4
    Vésicules, petits sacs membraneux ou concrétions globuleuses au sein du corps humain.
  5. 5
    Germe ; principe ; commencement.
  6. 6
    Objet en forme d’œuf dont on se sert pour repriser plus commodément les bas. Œuf à repriser
  7. 7
    Objet en forme d’œuf à usage purement décoratif.
  8. 8
    Télécabine, généralement de forme ovoïde.
  9. 9
    Position de ski permettant d’accroître la vitesse du skieur.
  10. 10
    Personne trans n’ayant pas conscience de sa transidentité.

Synonyms

egg

This word in other languages

egg(English)huevo(Español)Ei(Deutsch)ovo(Português)

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 "œuf"?
"œuf" is spelled Œ-U-F. The IPA pronunciation is \œf\.
What does "œuf" mean?
As a noun, "œuf" means: Structure reproductrice produite par les animaux ovipares (oiseaux, reptiles, amphibiens, insectes, etc.) ou par d’autres animaux, formée dans les ovaires ou les oviductes, et comprenant un zygote ...
What words are commonly confused with "œuf"?
"œuf" is commonly confused with "un", "up", "UK". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "œuf"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "œuf" is \œf\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "œuf" come from?
"œuf" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “œuf”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is Œ-U-F - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \œf\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “un” - see the side-by-side comparison. œuf vs un
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words

Words at a similar French frequency

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