vertex

\vɛʁ.tɛks\

/\vɛʁ.tɛks\/ noun

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

The verdict

“vertex” is uncommon French (frequency #78,042 among 148,117 “V” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#78,042
frequency rank, French
148,117
“V” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Sommet du crâne, de la tête.

Key facts for vertex
PropertyValue
Headwordvertex
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\vɛʁ.tɛks\
Letters6
Frequency rank#78,042
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “vertex” 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). vertex 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

vertex is uncommon French at frequency #78,042 among 148,117 “V” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed \vɛʁ.tɛks\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 8 senses are on record.

vertex doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology 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 vertex, spelled V-E-R-T-E-X.

Definition

  1. 1
    Sommet du crâne, de la tête.
  2. 2
    Partie supérieure de la tête de l’oiseau, ou calotte.
  3. 3
    Portion horizontale de la face des insectes, qui touche le front et située derrière les yeux.
  4. 4
    Point de latitude maximale ou minimale d'une orthodromie tracée sur une surface de révolution. En ce point, et en projection sphérique, l'orthodromie croise à angles droits le méridien.
  5. 5
    Point de la sphère céleste vers lequel semble se diriger un ensemble d’étoiles.
  6. 6
    Point virtuel présent sur les diagrammes de Feynman où a lieu l’émission ou l’absorption d’une particule.
  7. 7
    Hauteur du point le plus élevé de la trajectoire d’un projectile.
  8. 8
    Point d’intersection entre deux ou plusieurs segments dans une construction 3D.

Synonyms

sinciputflèchesommet

This word in other languages

vertex(English)Scheitel(Deutsch)

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 "vertex"?
"vertex" is spelled V-E-R-T-E-X. The IPA pronunciation is \vɛʁ.tɛks\.
What does "vertex" mean?
As a noun, "vertex" means: Sommet du crâne, de la tête.
How do you pronounce "vertex"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "vertex" is \vɛʁ.tɛks\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "vertex" come from?
"vertex" 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 “vertex”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is V-E-R-T-E-X - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \vɛʁ.tɛks\ (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