Which to use
“1ère” is an adjective and “première” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #5,720
- “1ère” frequency rank
- #165
- “première” frequency rank
- 5885
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | 1ère | première |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Première. | Nom que l’on donne à la toute première représentation publique d’un spectacle, d’un film, d’une pièce de théâtre, etc, d'une opération chirurgicale, d'une ascension par une nouvelle voie, etc. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set 1ère and première apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Say them out loud and nothing separates them: 1ère and première carry the same recorded pronunciation, \pʁə.mjɛʁ\. Grammar is what tells them apart: one is anadjective, the other anoun, so most sentences will only accept one of them. They differ by 4 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 5885, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
1ère is recorded at frequency rank #5,720, classified as anadj, pronounced \pʁə.mjɛʁ\. première is at rank #165, tagged as anoun, pronounced \pʁə.mjɛʁ\.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 5885, this pair ranks #427,782 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of 1ère vs première
Shared letters: erè. Private to "1ère": -. Private to "première": imp.
"1ère" · 3 letters · shape VCV · "première" · 8 letters · shape CCVCVVCV
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "1ère" and "première" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "1ère" or "première"?
Remembering 1ère vs première
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “1ère”; for a noun, it's “première”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “1ère” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable