Which to use
“blé” and “box” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #5,427
- “blé” frequency rank
- #4,314
- “box” frequency rank
- 9741
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | blé | box |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Terme générique qui désigne plusieurs céréales appartenant au genre Triticum. Ce sont des plantes annuelles de la famille des graminées ou Poacées, cultivées dans de très nombreux pays pour obtenir de la farine permettant de faire du pain. | Compartiment disposé dans les écuries ou les étables pour isoler les animaux et les y tenir libres et sans attaches. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set blé and box apart are highlighted. They share 1 letter in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. blé (\ble\) and box (\bɔks\) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 9741, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
blé is recorded at frequency rank #5,427, classified as anoun, pronounced \ble\. box is at rank #4,314, tagged as anoun, pronounced \bɔks\.
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 9741, this pair ranks #415,591 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of blé vs box
Shared letters: b. Private to "blé": lé. Private to "box": ox.
"blé" · 3 letters · shape CCV · "box" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "blé" and "box" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "blé" or "box"?
Remembering blé vs box
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “blé” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable