Which to use
“cœur” and “cous” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #552
- “cœur” frequency rank
- #38,734
- “cous” frequency rank
- 39286
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | cœur | cous |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Organe musculaire, creux et pulsatile assurant la circulation sanguine dans le corps humain ou animal. | Pierre à aiguiser utilisée par les faucheurs. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set cœur and cous apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. cœur (\kœʁ\) and cous (\kus\) 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 39286, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
cœur is recorded at frequency rank #552, classified as anoun, pronounced \kœʁ\. cous is at rank #38,734, tagged as anoun, pronounced \kus\.
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 39286, this pair ranks #249,136 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of cœur vs cous
Shared letters: cu. Private to "cœur": rœ. Private to "cous": os.
"cœur" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "cous" · 4 letters · shape CVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- cous ← ccous · cosu · couss · cuos · ocus
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "cœur" and "cous" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "cœur" or "cous"?
Remembering cœur vs cous
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 “cœur” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable