Which to use
“clé” and “cul” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,987
- “clé” frequency rank
- #999
- “cul” frequency rank
- 2986
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | clé | cul |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Derrière d’un animal, d’un humain, ses fesses, son postérieur. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set clé and cul apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. clé (\kle\) and cul (\ky\) 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 2986, 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\. cul is at rank #999, tagged as anoun, pronounced \ky\.
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 2986, this pair ranks #435,054 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of clé vs cul
Shared letters: cl. Private to "clé": é. Private to "cul": u.
"clé" · 3 letters · shape CCV · "cul" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "clé" and "cul" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "clé" or "cul"?
Remembering clé vs cul
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