Which to use
“dépenser” and “dispenser” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #6,609
- “dépenser” frequency rank
- #24,935
- “dispenser” frequency rank
- 31544
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | dépenser | dispenser |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Employer telle ou telle somme à l’achat de telle ou telle chose. | Exempter de la règle ordinaire, par faveur spéciale, ou simplement exempter de quelque chose. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set dépenser and dispenser apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. dépenser (\de.pɑ̃.se\) and dispenser (\dis.pɑ̃.se\) 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 31544, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
dépenser is recorded at frequency rank #6,609, classified as averb, pronounced \de.pɑ̃.se\. dispenser is at rank #24,935, tagged as averb, pronounced \dis.pɑ̃.se\.
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 31544, this pair ranks #303,133 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of dépenser vs dispenser
Shared letters: denprs. Private to "dépenser": é. Private to "dispenser": i.
"dépenser" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC · "dispenser" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- dispenser ← ddispenser · dipsenser · disepnser · dispenesr · dispennser · dispenserr · dispensre · dispensser
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "dépenser" and "dispenser" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "dépenser" or "dispenser"?
Remembering dépenser vs dispenser
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “dépenser” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable