Which to use
“aiguë” is an adjective and “algue” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #14,192
- “aiguë” frequency rank
- #31,338
- “algue” frequency rank
- 45530
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | aiguë | algue |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Féminin singulier d'aigu. | Végétal aquatique poussant sous l’eau (par opposition aux nénufars) pouvant appartenir à des groupes phylogénétiques très différents (polyphylétique) et capables de photosynthèse, donc autotrophes. |
Where the eye mixes aiguë and algue
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence. aiguë (VVCVC) and algue (VCCVV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Visual trap between aiguë and algue
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: aiguë is \e.ɡy\ while algue is \alɡ\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 45530, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
aiguë is recorded at frequency rank #14,192, classified as anadj, pronounced \e.ɡy\. algue is at rank #31,338, tagged as anoun, pronounced \alɡ\.
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 45530, this pair ranks #202,058 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of aiguë vs algue
Shared letters: agu. Private to "aiguë": ië. Private to "algue": el.
"aiguë" · 5 letters · shape VVCVC · "algue" · 5 letters · shape VCCVV
Known mistypes of this pair
- algue ← aglue · algeu · alggue · allgue · aluge · lague
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "aiguë" for "algue" ever safe?
Which is more common, "aiguë" or "algue"?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "aiguë" and "algue" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "aiguë" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "algue" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #202,058 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "aiguë" and "algue" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "algue vs alizé". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #202,058 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.