Which to use
“cent” and “cinq” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,854
- “cent” frequency rank
- #424
- “cinq” frequency rank
- 2278
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | cent | cinq |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Quatre-vingt-dix-neuf plus un, soit dix fois dix, correspondant au nombre 100. | Adjectif numéral correspondant au cardinal quatre plus un. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set cent and cinq apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
cent and cinq form a confusable pair in the French index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 2278, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
cent is recorded at frequency rank #1,854, classified as anadj, pronounced \sɑ̃\. cinq is at rank #424, tagged as anadj, pronounced \sɛ̃k\.
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 2278, this pair ranks #436,441 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "cent" and "cinq" be used interchangeably?
Remembering cent vs cinq
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 “cent” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable