Zirkel

\ˈt͡sɪʁ.kǝl\

/\ˈt͡sɪʁ.kǝl\/ noun

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

The verdict

“Zirkel” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
6
letters

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

Key facts for Zirkel
PropertyValue
HeadwordZirkel
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ˈt͡sɪʁ.kǝl\
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Zirkel” sits in French frequency

Zirkel falls outside the top-100,000 ranked French words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Zirkel is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed \ˈt͡sɪʁ.kǝl\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for Zirkel in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable French rules. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct French form is Zirkel, spelled Z-I-R-K-E-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Compas.
  2. 2
    Cercle (groupe de personnes liées entre elles de façon informelle).
  3. 3
    Raisonnement circulaire, pétition de principe.

Synonyms

ZirkelschlussKreisRundeKränzchen

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 "Zirkel"?
"Zirkel" is spelled Z-I-R-K-E-L. The IPA pronunciation is \ˈt͡sɪʁ.kǝl\.
What does "Zirkel" mean?
As a noun, "Zirkel" means: Compas.
How do you pronounce "Zirkel"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Zirkel" is \ˈt͡sɪʁ.kǝl\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Zirkel" come from?
"Zirkel" is a French word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “Zirkel”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is Z-I-R-K-E-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ˈt͡sɪʁ.kǝl\ (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
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