yako

\ja.ko\

/\ja.ko\/ intj

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

The verdict

“yako” is uncommon French (frequency #79,862 among 5,604 “Y” headwords), classed as an interjection. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#79,862
frequency rank, French
5,604
“Y” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Mot prononcé pour exprimer la compassion, la condoléance, notamment aux proches lors d’un décès, ou à un malade pour lui souhaiter un bon rétablissement

Key facts for yako
PropertyValue
Headwordyako
LanguageFrench
Part of speechInterjection
IPA\ja.ko\
Letters4
Frequency rank#79,862
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “yako” 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). yako 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

yako is uncommon French at frequency #79,862 among 5,604 “Y” headwords, classed as aninterjection, transcribed \ja.ko\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

yako has no tracked misspelling variants, 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 spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct French form is yako, spelled Y-A-K-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    Mot prononcé pour exprimer la compassion, la condoléance, notamment aux proches lors d’un décès, ou à un malade pour lui souhaiter un bon rétablissement
  2. 2
    Dit à toute personne ayant subi un incident malencontreux en guise de réconfort.

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 "yako"?
"yako" is spelled Y-A-K-O. The IPA pronunciation is \ja.ko\.
What does "yako" mean?
As an interjection, "yako" means: Mot prononcé pour exprimer la compassion, la condoléance, notamment aux proches lors d’un décès, ou à un malade pour lui souhaiter un bon rétablissement
How do you pronounce "yako"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "yako" is \ja.ko\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "yako" come from?
"yako" 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 “yako”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is Y-A-K-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ja.ko\ (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