Which to use
“CDG” is a symbol and “clé” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #23,794
- “CDG” frequency rank
- #1,987
- “clé” frequency rank
- 25781
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | CDG | clé |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Code AITA de l’aéroport Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle dans le système de codification international des aéroports. | Instrument de métal que l’on introduit dans une serrure pour ouvrir ou fermer un accès. Ancienne clé à panneton que l'on place et fait tourner dans la serrure d'une porte, d'un coffre, etc. |
Letter map: CDG vs clé
Shared letters muted; letters that set CDG and clé apart highlighted. Shared run: 1.
Role in the sentence - CDG and clé
Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: CDG is asymbol and cléanoun. On the page they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 25781, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
CDG is recorded at frequency rank #23,794, classified as asymbol. clé is at rank #1,987, tagged as anoun, pronounced \kle\.
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 25781, this pair ranks #338,871 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of CDG vs clé
Shared letters: c. Private to "CDG": dg. Private to "clé": lé.
"CDG" · 3 letters · shape CCC · "clé" · 3 letters · shape CCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "CDG" and "clé" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary French text, does "CDG" or "clé" show up more?
After this comparison
You've compared "CDG" and "clé". Here's where to go from here.
- Full dictionary entry for "CDG" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "clé" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #338,871 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "CDG" and "clé" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "CCE vs CDG". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #338,871 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.