zu

\t͡suː\

/\t͡suː\/ prep

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

The verdict

“zu” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #22,460 in French word frequency and used as a preposition.

#22,460
frequency rank, French
2
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - À, chez, vers, en direction de, Indique la direction, le déplacement (sens directionnel).

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

zu vs zut
67% similar
zu vs zur
67% similar
zu vs zum
67% similar

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

Key facts for zu
PropertyValue
Headwordzu
LanguageFrench
Part of speechPreposition
IPA\t͡suː\
Letters2
Frequency rank#22,460
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “zu” 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). zu 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 zu is 2 letters long, classified as a preposition, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \t͡suː\. Corpus data places it at rank #22,460 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 23 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for zu, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "zut", "zur", "zum", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is zu, spelled Z-U.

Definition

  1. 1
    À, chez, vers, en direction de, Indique la direction, le déplacement (sens directionnel).
  2. 2
    À, de, en, le ...Indique l’époque
  3. 3
    Pour, avec, au, Indique la circonstance, l’occasion.
  4. 4
    En, à, Indique le moyen.
  5. 5
    À, par, pour, Indique un moyen de comptabilité.
  6. 6
    À, en, indique le résultat d’une action ou d’un événement.
  7. 7
    Chez, à, indique un mouvement vers la proximité de quelqu'un ou quelque chose.
  8. 8
    À, indique que l’on prend part à un évènement.
  9. 9
    À, indique que l’on fréquente une institution.
  10. 10
    À, indique une direction vers des autres éléments.
  11. 11
    bis zu: Jusqu’à, indique un limite dans le sens spatial.
  12. 12
    von ... zu: indique un mouvement répétitif entre des éléments pareils.
  13. 13
    zu ... herein, hinein, heraus, hinaus: indique un mouvement par une entrée.
  14. 14
    À, indique le lieu où quelque chose se trouve ou déroule.
  15. 15
    À, indique que quelque chose se trouve dans la ville donnée.
  16. 16
    Complément de nom séparé devant le nom de famille (de l’ancienne noblesse), prédicat de noblesse (pour les noms de personnes nobles). Aussi von und zu.
  17. 17
    Forme souvent partie des noms d'auberges.
  18. 18
    bis zu: Jusqu’à, indique un limite dans le sens temporel.
  19. 19
    bis zu: Jusqu’à, indique une durée maximale.
  20. 20
    À, indique le passage d’une étape à l’autre.
  21. 21
    von ... zu ...: dans le cas de deux noms identiques, indique une répétition.
  22. 22
    bis zu: Jusqu’à, désigne la limite supérieure.
  23. 23
    bis zu: Jusqu’à, désigne la fin d'un mouvement.

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 "zu"?
"zu" is spelled Z-U. The IPA pronunciation is \t͡suː\.
What does "zu" mean?
As a preposition, "zu" means: À, chez, vers, en direction de, Indique la direction, le déplacement (sens directionnel).
What words are commonly confused with "zu"?
"zu" is commonly confused with "zut", "zur", "zum". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "zu"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "zu" is \t͡suː\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "zu" come from?
"zu" 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 “zu”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is Z-U - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \t͡suː\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “zut” - see the side-by-side comparison. zu vs zut
  • 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