Which to use
“chère” and “crème” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,764
- “chère” frequency rank
- #3,191
- “crème” frequency rank
- 5955
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | chère | crème |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Personne considérée comme chère, qui est tenu avec une affectueuse haute estime ou, par ironie, à qui est adressée une forme de dédain. | Partie la plus grasse du lait, avec laquelle on fait le beurre. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set chère and crème 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 crème (\kʁɛm\) 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 5955, 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\. crème is at rank #3,191, tagged as anoun, pronounced \kʁɛm\.
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 5955, this pair ranks #427,585 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of chère vs crème
Shared letters: cerè. Private to "chère": h. Private to "crème": m.
"chère" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV · "crème" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "chère" and "crème" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "chère" or "crème"?
Remembering chère vs crème
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