cents

\sɑ̃\

/\sɑ̃\/ adj

The verdict

“cents” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #4,053 in French word frequency and used as an adjective.

#4,053
frequency rank, French
5
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

cents vs ces
60% similar
cents vs cet
60% similar
cents vs CNT
0% similar

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

Key facts for cents
PropertyValue
Headwordcents
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdjective
IPA\sɑ̃\
Letters5
Frequency rank#4,053
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cents” 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). cents 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 cents is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \sɑ̃\. Corpus data places it at rank #4,053 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Pluriel de cent.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for cents, with forms such as "ccents", "cennts", and "censt". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "ces", "cet", "CNT", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is cents, spelled C-E-N-T-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Pluriel de cent.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccents,cennts,censt,centss,centts,cetns,cnets,ecnts

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of cents - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ccents1cennts1censt2centss1centts1cetns2cnets2ecnts2
Edit distance from "cents"

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 "cents"?
"cents" is spelled C-E-N-T-S. The IPA pronunciation is \sɑ̃\.
What does "cents" mean?
As an adjective, "cents" means: Pluriel de cent.
What words are commonly confused with "cents"?
"cents" is commonly confused with "ces", "cet", "CNT". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cents"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cents" is \sɑ̃\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "cents" come from?
"cents" 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 “cents”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is C-E-N-T-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \sɑ̃\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “ces” - see the side-by-side comparison. cents vs ces
  • 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