Which to use
“CAF” is a noun and “cec” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #10,286
- “CAF” frequency rank
- #46,636
- “cec” frequency rank
- 56922
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | CAF | cec |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Caisse d’allocations familiales. | Aveugle. |
Where the eye mixes CAF and cec
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Look-alike desk: CAF vs cec
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: CAF is \kaf\ while cec is \ˈsek\. 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 (noun vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 56922, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
CAF is recorded at frequency rank #10,286, classified as anoun, pronounced \kaf\. cec is at rank #46,636, tagged as anadj, pronounced \ˈsek\.
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 56922, this pair ranks #118,122 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of CAF vs cec
Shared letters: c. Private to "CAF": af. Private to "cec": e.
"CAF" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "cec" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "CAF" for "cec" ever safe?
In ordinary French text, does "CAF" or "cec" show up more?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "CAF" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "cec" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #118,122 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "CAF" and "cec" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "CCE vs cec". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #118,122 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.