vieux

\vjø\

/\vjø\/ adj

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

The verdict

“vieux” is in the everyday core of French, ranked #652 in French word frequency and used as an adjective.

#652
frequency rank, French
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - D’un certain âge (relatif à un autre).

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

vieux vs view
60% similar
vieux vs visu
60% similar
vieux vs virus
60% similar

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

Key facts for vieux
PropertyValue
Headwordvieux
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdjective
IPA\vjø\
Letters5
Frequency rank#652
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “vieux” 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). vieux lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The French entry for vieux is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \vjø\. Corpus data places it at rank #652 in overall French word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 11 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for vieux, with forms such as "iveux", "veiux", and "vieuxx". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "view", "visu", "virus", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is vieux, spelled V-I-E-U-X.

Definition

  1. 1
    D’un certain âge (relatif à un autre).
  2. 2
    Ancien, qui existe depuis longtemps.
  3. 3
    Qui appartient à une époque passée ou dépassée.
  4. 4
    Qui a l'apparence de la vétusté ou les dehors de la vieillesse.
  5. 5
    S’emploie avec les adverbes plus et moins, et autres semblables, pour marquer la différence d’âge entre deux personnes ou choses.
  6. 6
    Personne qui exerce une profession, un métier, qui mène un certain genre de vie depuis longtemps.
  7. 7
    Sert aussi à marquer les anciennes habitudes, et surtout les habitudes vicieuses.
  8. 8
    S’emploie familièrement dans des phrases de dénigrement.
  9. 9
    S’emploie pour exprimer la vénération qu’inspire le nom d’un homme célèbre mort depuis longtemps, en laissant une grande renommée.
  10. 10
    Par comparaison et opposition à nouveau.
  11. 11
    Choses qui sont usées, principalement des habits, des meubles, par opposition à neuf.

Synonyms

ancienâgéantiquearchaïquedésuetdémodéobsolètepérimésurannévétuste

Antonyms

jeuneneufnouveaumodernerécentfraisactuelcontemporain

This word in other languages

old(English)anciano(Español)alt(Deutsch)caduco(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: iveux,veiux,vieuxx,viexu,viuex,vvieux

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of vieux - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

iveux2veiux2vieuxx1viexu2viuex2vvieux1
Edit distance from "vieux"

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 "vieux"?
"vieux" is spelled V-I-E-U-X. The IPA pronunciation is \vjø\.
What does "vieux" mean?
As an adjective, "vieux" means: D’un certain âge (relatif à un autre).
What words are commonly confused with "vieux"?
"vieux" is commonly confused with "view", "visu", "virus". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "vieux"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "vieux" is \vjø\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "vieux" come from?
"vieux" 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 “vieux”

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

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