Français homophones

cell/celle/celles/sel/selle/selles/sels

"celle" (#254 written frequency) beats "celles" (#704) in this 7-word /\sɛl\/ cluster. Size rank #10 of 9,139 French groups.

Data vintage 2026-05-06

Frequency splits the cluster

These 7 spellings keep the same /\sɛl\/ reading, but written frequency splits them hard: "celle" leads at #254, with "celles" trailing at #704.

Spelling pairs in this cluster

Shared stem "cell" then splits - "cell" (4 letters) vs "celle" (5).
Shared stem "cell" then splits - "cell" (4 letters) vs "celles" (6).
No shared spelling stem: "cell" is 4 letters, "sel" is 3; only the sound ties them.
No shared spelling stem: "cell" is 4 letters, "selle" is 5; only the sound ties them.
No shared spelling stem: "cell" is 4 letters, "selles" is 6; only the sound ties them.
No shared spelling stem: "cell" is 4 letters, "sels" is 4; only the sound ties them.
Shared stem "celle" then splits - "celle" (5 letters) vs "celles" (6).
No shared spelling stem: "celle" is 5 letters, "sel" is 3; only the sound ties them.
No shared spelling stem: "celle" is 5 letters, "selle" is 5; only the sound ties them.
No shared spelling stem: "celle" is 5 letters, "selles" is 6; only the sound ties them.
No shared spelling stem: "celle" is 5 letters, "sels" is 4; only the sound ties them.
No shared spelling stem: "celles" is 6 letters, "sel" is 3; only the sound ties them.
No shared spelling stem: "celles" is 6 letters, "selle" is 5; only the sound ties them.
No shared spelling stem: "celles" is 6 letters, "selles" is 6; only the sound ties them.
No shared spelling stem: "celles" is 6 letters, "sels" is 4; only the sound ties them.
Shared stem "sel" then splits - "sel" (3 letters) vs "selle" (5).
Shared stem "sel" then splits - "sel" (3 letters) vs "selles" (6).
Shared stem "sel" then splits - "sel" (3 letters) vs "sels" (4).
Shared stem "selle" then splits - "selle" (5 letters) vs "selles" (6).
Shared stem "sel" then splits - "selle" (5 letters) vs "sels" (4).
Shared stem "sel" then splits - "selles" (6 letters) vs "sels" (4).

Orthographic DNA of this cluster

Shared letters across cell, celle, celles, sel, selle, selles, sels: el. Private letters are the ones only one spelling owns: the eye's fastest tell once sound is out of the picture.

cell
4 letters · 1 vowels · shape CVCC
Inventory cel · private c
celle
5 letters · 2 vowels · shape CVCCV
Inventory cel · private c
celles
6 letters · 2 vowels · shape CVCCVC
Inventory cels · private cs
sel
3 letters · 1 vowels · shape CVC
Inventory els · private s
selle
5 letters · 2 vowels · shape CVCCV
Inventory els · private s
selles
6 letters · 2 vowels · shape CVCCVC
Inventory els · private s
sels
4 letters · 1 vowels · shape CVCC
Inventory els · private s

Pick the spelling from the meaning

Write "cell" when you mean: Feuille transparente d'acétate de cellulose servant à créer les dessins animés
Write "celle" when you mean: Compartiment des bains romains.
Write "celles" when you mean: Pluriel de celle.
Write "sel" when you mean: Nom courant du chlorure de sodium, composé ionique, friable, soluble dans l’eau, que l’on extrait de la mer, de sources salées, de mines,…
Write "selle" when you mean: Tabouret, petit siège.
Write "selles" when you mean: Excréments humains, formés des résidus de la digestion.
Write "sels" when you mean: Pluriel de sel.

Known mistypes of these spellings

Edit-distance variants recorded against this cluster: useful when a search or OCR feed lands on the wrong form.

cell ← ccell · cel · clel · ecll
celle ← ccelle · cele · celel · clele · eclle
celles ← ccelles · celels · celes · celless · cellse · cleles
selle ← eslle · sele · selel · slele · sselle
selles ← eslles · selels · seles · selless · sellse · sleles
sels ← esls · sells · selss · sesl · sles · ssels

Each spelling

cell

noun · /\sɛl\/ · #18,954 frequency

Feuille transparente d'acétate de cellulose servant à créer les dessins animés

celle

noun · /\sɛl\/ · #254 frequency

Compartiment des bains romains.

celles

noun · /\sɛl\/ · #704 frequency

Pluriel de celle.

sel

noun · /\sɛl\/ · #3,293 frequency

Nom courant du chlorure de sodium, composé ionique, friable, soluble dans l’eau, que l’on extrait de la mer, de sources salées, de mines, et dont on se sert surtout pour assaisonner et conserver les aliments.

selle

noun · /\sɛl\/ · #9,741 frequency

Tabouret, petit siège.

selles

noun · /\sɛl\/ · #21,466 frequency

Excréments humains, formés des résidus de la digestion.

sels

noun · /\sɛl\/ · #16,737 frequency

Pluriel de sel.