Which to use
“ci” is an adverb and “Ct” is a name - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #264
- “ci” frequency rank
- #9,461
- “Ct” frequency rank
- 9725
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ci | Ct |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | ou (Utilisé uniquement dans les compositions, pas utilisé isolément) Ici. | « Combault » dans Pontault-Combault. |
Where the eye mixes ci and Ct
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Why the eye confuses ci with Ct
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: ci is \si\ while Ct is \kɔ̃.bo\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - i in “ci” becomes t in “Ct”, and the parts of speech differ too (adverb vs name), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 9725, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ci is recorded at frequency rank #264, classified as anadv, pronounced \si\. Ct is at rank #9,461, tagged as aname, pronounced \kɔ̃.bo\.
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 9725, this pair ranks #415,639 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of ci vs Ct
Shared letters: c. Private to "ci": i. Private to "Ct": t.
"ci" · 2 letters · shape CV · "Ct" · 2 letters · shape CC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ci" and "Ct" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "ci" vs "Ct" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "ci" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Ct" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #415,639 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ci" and "Ct" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "CCE vs Ct". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #415,639 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.