Which to use
“clé” and “cou” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,987
- “clé” frequency rank
- #3,063
- “cou” frequency rank
- 5050
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | clé | cou |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Instrument de métal que l’on introduit dans une serrure pour ouvrir ou fermer un accès. Ancienne clé à panneton que l'on place et fait tourner dans la serrure d'une porte, d'un coffre, etc. | Partie du corps qui joint la tête aux épaules. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set clé and cou apart are highlighted. They share 1 letter in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. clé (\kle\) and cou (\ku\) 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 5050, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
clé is recorded at frequency rank #1,987, classified as anoun, pronounced \kle\. cou is at rank #3,063, tagged as anoun, pronounced \ku\.
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 5050, this pair ranks #430,038 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of clé vs cou
Shared letters: c. Private to "clé": lé. Private to "cou": ou.
"clé" · 3 letters · shape CCV · "cou" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "clé" and "cou" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "clé" or "cou"?
Remembering clé vs cou
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 “clé” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable