Which to use
“compétitions” and “compositions” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #7,414
- “compétitions” frequency rank
- #9,623
- “compositions” frequency rank
- 17037
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | compétitions | compositions |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Pluriel de compétition. | Pluriel de composition. |
Where the eye mixes compétitions and compositions
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 10 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses compétitions with compositions
A purely visual mix-up. compétitions (\kɔ̃.pe.ti.sjɔ̃\) and compositions (\kɔ̃.pɔ.zi.sjɔ̃\) 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 17037, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
compétitions is recorded at frequency rank #7,414, classified as anoun, pronounced \kɔ̃.pe.ti.sjɔ̃\. compositions is at rank #9,623, tagged as anoun, pronounced \kɔ̃.pɔ.zi.sjɔ̃\.
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 17037, this pair ranks #385,104 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of compétitions vs compositions
Shared letters: cimnopst. Private to "compétitions": é. Private to "compositions": -.
"compétitions" · 12 letters · shape CVCCVCVCVVCC · "compositions" · 12 letters · shape CVCCVCVCVVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- compositions ← ccompositions · cmopositions · commpositions · comopsitions · compoistions · composiitons · compositinos · compositionns
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "compétitions" for "compositions" ever safe?
In ordinary French text, does "compétitions" or "compositions" show up more?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "compétitions" and "compositions" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "compétitions" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "compositions" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #385,104 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "compétitions" and "compositions" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "compétitions vs compétitives". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #385,104 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.