Which to use
“chère” and “chose” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,764
- “chère” frequency rank
- #158
- “chose” frequency rank
- 2922
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | chère | chose |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Personne considérée comme chère, qui est tenu avec une affectueuse haute estime ou, par ironie, à qui est adressée une forme de dédain. | Objet, idée ou abstraction quelconque, sans pouvoir, vouloir, ou devoir l’identifier ou la nommer. Note d’usage : La signification du mot chose se déduit par la manière dont on l’emploie dans la phrase, où il remplace ce qu’il n’est pas possible (ou pas souhaitable) de nommer. Peut aussi remplacer un ensemble d’objets inanimés (ou d’idées) qu’on devine par le contexte. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set chère and chose apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. chère (\ʃɛʁ\) and chose (\ʃoz\) 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 2922, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
chère is recorded at frequency rank #2,764, classified as anoun, pronounced \ʃɛʁ\. chose is at rank #158, tagged as anoun, pronounced \ʃoz\.
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 2922, this pair ranks #435,202 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of chère vs chose
Shared letters: ceh. Private to "chère": rè. Private to "chose": os.
"chère" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV · "chose" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- chose ← cchose · chhose · choes · chosse · chsoe · cohse · hcose
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "chère" and "chose" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "chère" or "chose"?
Remembering chère vs chose
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 “chère” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable