virer

\vi.ʁe\

/\vi.ʁe\/ verb

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

The verdict

“virer” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #5,715 in French word frequency and used as a verb.

#5,715
frequency rank, French
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

virer vs vite
60% similar
virer vs vive
60% similar
virer vs visé
40% similar

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

Key facts for virer
PropertyValue
Headwordvirer
LanguageFrench
Part of speechVerb
IPA\vi.ʁe\
Letters5
Frequency rank#5,715
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “virer” 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). virer 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 virer is 5 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \vi.ʁe\. Corpus data places it at rank #5,715 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 16 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for virer, with forms such as "ivrer", "vierr", and "virerr". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "vite", "vive", "visé", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is virer, spelled V-I-R-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Aller en tournant.
  2. 2
    Tourner d’un côté sur l’autre, de façon à prendre le vent par l’autre côté de la voile.
  3. 3
    Tirer sur un cordage, une chaine.
  4. 4
    Se mouvoir dans une autre direction.
  5. 5
    Donner le tournis.
  6. 6
    Faire tourner.
  7. 7
    (Poitevin-Saintongeais) Retourner.
  8. 8
    Devenir.
  9. 9
    Tourner, en parlant d'une affaire, d'une entreprise. → voir tourner
  10. 10
    Transporter un chiffre de recette ou de dépense d’un compte à un autre, d’un chapitre de budget à un autre.
  11. 11
    Tremper une épreuve dans une dissolution de sels d’or, de platine, etc., pour lui donner sa couleur et son intensité définitive.
  12. 12
    Se débarrasser de quelque chose, enlever cette chose d’un endroit.
  13. 13
    Expulser, chasser.
  14. 14
    Congédier, licencier, renvoyer, la plupart du temps sans ménagement.
  15. 15
    Jeter violemment quelque chose.
  16. 16
    Rouler.

This word in other languages

swerve(English)girar(Español)endossar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ivrer,vierr,virerr,virre,virrer,vrier,vvirer

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of virer - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ivrer2vierr2virerr1virre2virrer1vrier2vvirer1
Edit distance from "virer"

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 "virer"?
"virer" is spelled V-I-R-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is \vi.ʁe\.
What does "virer" mean?
As a verb, "virer" means: Aller en tournant.
What words are commonly confused with "virer"?
"virer" is commonly confused with "vite", "vive", "visé". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "virer"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "virer" is \vi.ʁe\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "virer" come from?
"virer" 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 “virer”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is V-I-R-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \vi.ʁe\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “vite” - see the side-by-side comparison. virer vs vite
  • 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