Which to use
“caractère” and “character” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,320
- “caractère” frequency rank
- #37,223
- “character” frequency rank
- 38543
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | caractère | character |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Empreinte, marque, figure tracée sur une surface quelconque avec une plume, un burin, un ciseau ou de toute autre manière, et à laquelle on attribue une signification. | Nature. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set caractère and character apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. caractère (\ka.ʁak.tɛʁ\) and character (\ˈkɛɹ.ək.tɚ\) 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 8 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38543, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
caractère is recorded at frequency rank #1,320, classified as anoun, pronounced \ka.ʁak.tɛʁ\. character is at rank #37,223, tagged as anoun, pronounced \ˈkɛɹ.ək.tɚ\.
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 38543, this pair ranks #254,552 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of caractère vs character
Shared letters: acert. Private to "caractère": è. Private to "character": h.
"caractère" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCCVCV · "character" · 9 letters · shape CCVCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- character ← cahracter · ccharacter · chaarcter · characcter · characetr · characterr · charactre · charactter
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "caractère" and "character" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "caractère" or "character"?
Remembering caractère vs character
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 “caractère” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable