Which to use
“ci” is an adverb and “Cte” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #264
- “ci” frequency rank
- #42,264
- “Cte” frequency rank
- 42528
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ci | Cte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | ou (Utilisé uniquement dans les compositions, pas utilisé isolément) Ici. | Comte. |
Where the eye mixes ci and Cte
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Why the eye confuses ci with Cte
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: ci is \si\ while Cte is \kɔ̃t\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adverb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 42528, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ci is recorded at frequency rank #264, classified as anadv, pronounced \si\. Cte is at rank #42,264, tagged as anoun, pronounced \kɔ̃t\.
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 42528, this pair ranks #224,928 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of ci vs Cte
Shared letters: c. Private to "ci": i. Private to "Cte": et.
"ci" · 2 letters · shape CV · "Cte" · 3 letters · shape CCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "ci" for "Cte" ever safe?
Which is more common, "ci" or "Cte"?
After this comparison
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 "Cte" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #224,928 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ci" and "Cte" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "CCE vs Cte". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #224,928 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.