Français homophones

continu/continue/continuent/continues/continus

"continu" is an adjective; "continue" is a noun - grammar picks the spelling, not sound. Size rank #101 of 9,139 French groups.

Data vintage 2026-05-06

Grammar picks the spelling

Same sound, different grammar: "continu" arrives as an adjective, while "continue" is a noun. Once the sentence role is fixed, only one spelling fits.

Spelling pairs in this cluster

Shared stem "continu" then splits - "continu" (7 letters) vs "continue" (8).
Shared stem "continu" then splits - "continu" (7 letters) vs "continuent" (10).
Shared stem "continu" then splits - "continu" (7 letters) vs "continues" (9).
Shared stem "continu" then splits - "continu" (7 letters) vs "continus" (8).
Shared stem "continue" then splits - "continue" (8 letters) vs "continuent" (10).
Shared stem "continue" then splits - "continue" (8 letters) vs "continues" (9).
Single-letter fork: "continue" keeps e, "continus" writes s at letter 8.
Shared stem "continue" then splits - "continuent" (10 letters) vs "continues" (9).
Shared stem "continu" then splits - "continuent" (10 letters) vs "continus" (8).
Shared stem "continu" then splits - "continues" (9 letters) vs "continus" (8).

Orthographic DNA of this cluster

Shared letters across continu, continue, continuent, continues, continus: cinotu. Private letters are the ones only one spelling owns: the eye's fastest tell once sound is out of the picture.

continu
7 letters · 3 vowels · shape CVCCVCV
Inventory cinotu · no private letters vs siblings
continue
8 letters · 4 vowels · shape CVCCVCVV
Inventory ceinotu · private e
continuent
10 letters · 4 vowels · shape CVCCVCVVCC
Inventory ceinotu · private e
continues
9 letters · 4 vowels · shape CVCCVCVVC
Inventory ceinostu · private es
continus
8 letters · 3 vowels · shape CVCCVCVC
Inventory cinostu · private s

Pick the spelling from the meaning

Write "continu" when you mean: Dont les parties ne sont pas séparées les unes des autres et tiennent les unes aux autres.
Write "continue" when you mean: Dans une filature appareil destiné à diviser la nappe en fils.
Write "continuent" when you mean: Troisième personne du pluriel de l’indicatif présent de continuer.
Write "continues" when you mean: Pluriel de continue.
Write "continus" when you mean: Masculin pluriel de continu.

Known mistypes of these spellings

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

continu ← ccontinu · cnotinu · conitnu · conntinu · continnu · contiun
continue ← ccontinue · cnotinue · conitnue · conntinue · contineu · continnue
continuent ← ccontinuent · cnotinuent · conitnuent · conntinuent · contineunt · continnuent
continues ← ccontinues · cnotinues · conitnues · conntinues · contineus · continnues
continus ← ccontinus · cnotinus · conitnus · conntinus · continnus · continsu

Each spelling

continu

adjective · /\kɔ̃.ti.ny\/ · #5,330 frequency

Dont les parties ne sont pas séparées les unes des autres et tiennent les unes aux autres.

continue

noun · /\kɔ̃.ti.ny\/ · #867 frequency

Dans une filature appareil destiné à diviser la nappe en fils.

continuent

verb · /\kɔ̃.ti.ny\/ · #4,222 frequency

Troisième personne du pluriel de l’indicatif présent de continuer.

continues

noun · /\kɔ̃.ti.ny\/ · #10,848 frequency

Pluriel de continue.

continus

adjective · /\kɔ̃.ti.ny\/ · #30,110 frequency

Masculin pluriel de continu.