Which to use
“débute” is a verb and “débuts” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #6,188
- “débute” frequency rank
- #4,144
- “débuts” frequency rank
- 10332
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | débute | débuts |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Première personne du singulier de l’indicatif présent de débuter. | Pluriel de début. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set débute and débuts apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: débute is \de.byt\ while débuts is \de.by\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - e in “débute” becomes s in “débuts”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 10332, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
débute is recorded at frequency rank #6,188, classified as averb, pronounced \de.byt\. débuts is at rank #4,144, tagged as anoun, pronounced \de.by\.
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 10332, this pair ranks #413,379 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of débute vs débuts
Shared letters: bdtué. Private to "débute": e. Private to "débuts": s.
"débute" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV · "débuts" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "débute" and "débuts" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "débute" or "débuts"?
Remembering débute vs débuts
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “débute”; for a noun, it's “débuts”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “débute” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable