Which to use
“compléter” is a verb and “complètes” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #5,436
- “compléter” frequency rank
- #9,137
- “complètes” frequency rank
- 14573
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | compléter | complètes |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Rendre plus complet. | Féminin pluriel de complet. |
Where the eye mixes compléter and complètes
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses compléter with complètes
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: compléter is \kɔ̃.ple.te\ while complètes is \kɔ̃.plɛt\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 14573, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
compléter is recorded at frequency rank #5,436, classified as averb, pronounced \kɔ̃.ple.te\. complètes is at rank #9,137, tagged as anadj, 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 14573, this pair ranks #396,087 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of compléter vs complètes
Shared letters: celmopt. Private to "compléter": ré. Private to "complètes": sè.
"compléter" · 9 letters · shape CVCCCVCVC · "complètes" · 9 letters · shape CVCCCVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "compléter" and "complètes" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "compléter" vs "complètes" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "compléter" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "complètes" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #396,087 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "compléter" and "complètes" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "complètes vs comptées". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #396,087 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.