Which to use
“débattre” is a verb and “débattues” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #7,816
- “débattre” frequency rank
- #49,608
- “débattues” frequency rank
- 57424
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | débattre | débattues |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Discuter entre plusieurs personnes dont chacune expose ses arguments. | Pluriel de débattue. |
Where the eye mixes débattre and débattues
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. débattre runs 8 letters (CVCVCCCV) against débattues's 9 (CVCVCCVVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between débattre and débattues
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: débattre is \de.batʁ\ while débattues is \de.ba.ty\. 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 (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 57424, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
débattre is recorded at frequency rank #7,816, classified as averb, pronounced \de.batʁ\. débattues is at rank #49,608, tagged as anoun, pronounced \de.ba.ty\.
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 57424, this pair ranks #115,122 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of débattre vs débattues
Shared letters: abdeté. Private to "débattre": r. Private to "débattues": su.
"débattre" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCCV · "débattues" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCCVVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "débattre" for "débattues" ever safe?
Which is more common, "débattre" or "débattues"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "débattre" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "débattues" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #115,122 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "débattre" and "débattues" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "débarques vs débattues". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #115,122 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.