complémentsvscomplètentWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: compléments is a noun, complètent is a verb, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“compléments” is a noun and “complètent” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#13,138
“compléments” frequency rank
#15,111
“complètent” frequency rank
28249
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature compléments complètent
Definition Pluriel de complément. Troisième personne du pluriel de l’indicatif présent de compléter.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set compléments and complètent apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

11 ch
compléments
10 ch
complètent

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: compléments is \kɔ̃.ple.mɑ̃\ while complètent is \kɔ̃.plɛt\. 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 (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 28249, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

compléments is recorded at frequency rank #13,138, classified as anoun, pronounced \kɔ̃.ple.mɑ̃\. complètent is at rank #15,111, tagged as averb, pronounced \kɔ̃.plɛt\.

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 28249, this pair ranks #323,993 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of compléments vs complètent

Shared letters: celmnopt. Private to "compléments": . Private to "complètent": è.

"compléments" · 11 letters · shape CVCCCVCVCCC  ·  "complètent" · 10 letters · shape CVCCCVCVCC

Frequency comparison

compléments#13,138
complètent#15,111

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "compléments" and "complètent" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "compléments" is a noun and "complètent" a verb, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "compléments" or "complètent"?
"compléments" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #13,138 in our French list, against #15,111 for "complètent". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering compléments vs complètent

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “compléments”; for a verb, it's “complètent”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “compléments” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list