Which to use
“ceci” and “cela” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #959
- “ceci” frequency rank
- #150
- “cela” frequency rank
- 1109
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ceci | cela |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Pronom démonstratif neutre désignant un objet situé à proximité de la personne qui parle ou une image située à proximité du mot. | Cette chose-là, par opposition à cette chose-ci. — Note d’usage : Pronom démonstratif neutre permettant de remplacer un objet distant (ou un être vivant dont on ignore la nature). En revanche (à l’inverse du pronom ceci), il ne remplace jamais une personne. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ceci and cela 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. ceci (\sə.si\) and cela (\sə.la\) 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 1109, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ceci is recorded at frequency rank #959, classified as apron, pronounced \sə.si\. cela is at rank #150, tagged as apron, pronounced \sə.la\.
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 1109, this pair ranks #438,611 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of ceci vs cela
Shared letters: ce. Private to "ceci": i. Private to "cela": al.
"ceci" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "cela" · 4 letters · shape CVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ceci" and "cela" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "ceci" or "cela"?
Remembering ceci vs cela
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 “ceci” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable