datationvsdotationsTell them apart

Which to use

“datation” and “dotations” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#20,690
“datation” frequency rank
#23,518
“dotations” frequency rank
44208
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature datation dotations
Definition Action de dater, estimation d’une date par des moyens scientifiques. Pluriel de dotation.

Where the eye mixes datation and dotations

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence.

8 ch
datation
9 ch
dotations

Why the eye confuses datation with dotations

A purely visual mix-up. datation (\da.ta.sjɔ̃\) and dotations (\dɔ.ta.sjɔ̃\) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 44208, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

datation is recorded at frequency rank #20,690, classified as anoun, pronounced \da.ta.sjɔ̃\. dotations is at rank #23,518, tagged as anoun, pronounced \dɔ.ta.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 44208, this pair ranks #212,219 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of datation vs dotations

Shared letters: adinot. Private to "datation": -. Private to "dotations": s.

"datation" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCVVC  ·  "dotations" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCVVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • datationadtation · daattion · dataiton · datatino · datationn · datatoin · datattion · dattaion
  • dotationsddotations · doattions · dotaitons · dotatinos · dotationns · dotationss · dotatiosn · dotatoins

Frequently Asked Questions

Do "datation" and "dotations" mean the same thing in a sentence?
No. They are said differently (\da.ta.sjɔ̃\ versus \dɔ.ta.sjɔ̃\) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "datation" vs "dotations" - which ranks higher?
"datation" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #20,690 in our French list, against #23,518 for "dotations". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

After this comparison

Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.

  • Full dictionary entry for "datation" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "dotations" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #212,219 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "datation" and "dotations" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "datation vs délation". 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 #212,219 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list