Which to use
“clé” is a noun and “cy” is an adverb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,987
- “clé” frequency rank
- #27,395
- “cy” frequency rank
- 29382
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | clé | cy |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Ci. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set clé and cy apart are highlighted. They share 1 letter in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: clé is anoun and cyanadverb. On the page they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 29382, 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\. cy is at rank #27,395, tagged as anadv.
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 29382, this pair ranks #317,036 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of clé vs cy
Shared letters: c. Private to "clé": lé. Private to "cy": y.
"clé" · 3 letters · shape CCV · "cy" · 2 letters · shape CV
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "clé" and "cy" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "clé" or "cy"?
Remembering clé vs cy
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “clé”; for an adverb, it's “cy”.
- 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