UFO

\ˌju.ˌɛf.ˈoʊ\

/\ˌju.ˌɛf.ˈoʊ\/ noun

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

The verdict

“UFO” is uncommon French (frequency #66,408 among 44,794 “U” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#66,408
frequency rank, French
44,794
“U” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - OVNI.

Key facts for UFO
PropertyValue
HeadwordUFO
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ˌju.ˌɛf.ˈoʊ\
Letters3
Frequency rank#66,408
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “UFO” 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). UFO lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

UFO is uncommon French at frequency #66,408 among 44,794 “U” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed \ˌju.ˌɛf.ˈoʊ\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "OVNI.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for UFO, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct French form is UFO, spelled U-F-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    OVNI.

Synonyms

flying saucer

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 "UFO"?
"UFO" is spelled U-F-O. The IPA pronunciation is \ˌju.ˌɛf.ˈoʊ\.
What does "UFO" mean?
As a noun, "UFO" means: OVNI.
How do you pronounce "UFO"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "UFO" is \ˌju.ˌɛf.ˈoʊ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "UFO" come from?
"UFO" 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 “UFO”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is U-F-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ˌju.ˌɛf.ˈoʊ\ (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

Other uncommon French words near this rank

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