un bout de temps

\œ̃ bu də tɑ̃\

/\œ̃ bu də tɑ̃\/ adv

The verdict

“un bout de temps” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adverb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
16
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Laps de temps dont la durée est très variable.

Corpus desk

Index FR-un-bout-de-temps · un bout de temps · French

un bout de temps · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 16 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "U" 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 un bout de temps
PropertyValue
Headwordun bout de temps
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdverb
IPA\œ̃ bu də tɑ̃\
Letters16
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Longue queue: rang de « un bout de temps » en français

un bout de tempssiège 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

un bout de temps is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anadverb, transcribed \œ̃ bu də tɑ̃\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Laps de temps dont la durée est très variable.".

Zero misspellings are on record for un bout de temps in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct French form is un bout de temps, spelled U-N- -B-O-U-T- -D-E- -T-E-M-P-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Laps de temps dont la durée est très variable.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how un bout de temps appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. J'ai mis un petit bout de temps à comprendre ce qu'elle voulait dire. (quelques secondes, quelques minutes, des heures ... ?)
  2. Je suis arrivé ici en 1956… Un sacré bout de temps ! (50 ans en 2006 !)

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 "un bout de temps"?
"un bout de temps" is spelled U-N- -B-O-U-T- -D-E- -T-E-M-P-S. The IPA pronunciation is \œ̃ bu də tɑ̃\.
What does "un bout de temps" mean?
As an adverb, "un bout de temps" means: Laps de temps dont la durée est très variable.
How do you pronounce "un bout de temps"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "un bout de temps" is \œ̃ bu də tɑ̃\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "un bout de temps" come from?
"un bout de temps" 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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list