Which to use
“cens” is a noun and “censé” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #39,698
- “cens” frequency rank
- #3,595
- “censé” frequency rank
- 43293
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | cens | censé |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Redevance de toute nature que certains biens devaient annuellement au seigneur du fief dont ils relevaient. | Supposé, réputé, considéré (comme). |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set cens and censé apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: cens is \sɑ̃s\ while censé is \sɑ̃.se\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “cens” sits inside “censé”, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 43293, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
cens is recorded at frequency rank #39,698, classified as anoun, pronounced \sɑ̃s\. censé is at rank #3,595, tagged as anadj, pronounced \sɑ̃.se\.
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 43293, this pair ranks #219,198 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of cens vs censé
Shared letters: cens. Private to "cens": -. Private to "censé": é.
"cens" · 4 letters · shape CVCC · "censé" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- cens ← ccens · cenns · censs · cesn · ecns
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "cens" and "censé" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "cens" or "censé"?
Remembering cens vs censé
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “cens”; for an adjective, it's “censé”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “cens” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable