Which to use
“chères” is an adjective and “crêtes” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #9,289
- “chères” frequency rank
- #23,503
- “crêtes” frequency rank
- 32792
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | chères | crêtes |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Féminin pluriel de cher. | Pluriel de crête. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set chères and crêtes 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: chères is [ʃɛʁ] while crêtes is \kʁɛt\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 3 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 32792, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
chères is recorded at frequency rank #9,289, classified as anadj, pronounced [ʃɛʁ]. crêtes is at rank #23,503, tagged as anoun, pronounced \kʁɛt\.
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 32792, this pair ranks #294,928 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of chères vs crêtes
Shared letters: cers. Private to "chères": hè. Private to "crêtes": tê.
"chères" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC · "crêtes" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "chères" and "crêtes" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "chères" or "crêtes"?
Remembering chères vs crêtes
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “chères”; for a noun, it's “crêtes”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “chères” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable