Which to use
“dates” and “dettes” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #3,603
- “dates” frequency rank
- #5,236
- “dettes” frequency rank
- 8839
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | dates | dettes |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Pluriel de date. | Pluriel de dette. |
Where the eye mixes dates and dettes
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between dates and dettes
A purely visual mix-up. dates (\dat\) and dettes (\dɛt\) 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 8839, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
dates is recorded at frequency rank #3,603, classified as anoun, pronounced \dat\. dettes is at rank #5,236, tagged as anoun, pronounced \dɛt\.
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 8839, this pair ranks #418,694 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of dates vs dettes
Shared letters: dest. Private to "dates": a. Private to "dettes": -.
"dates" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "dettes" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "dates" and "dettes" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "dates" vs "dettes" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "dates" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "dettes" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #418,694 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "dates" and "dettes" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "déçues vs dettes". 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 #418,694 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.