Which to use
“désigner” is a verb and “désignés” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #5,127
- “désigner” frequency rank
- #11,571
- “désignés” frequency rank
- 16698
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | désigner | désignés |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Indiquer une personne ou une chose par des expressions, par des marques qui la font reconnaître. | Masculin pluriel de désigné. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set désigner and désignés apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Say them out loud and nothing separates them: désigner and désignés carry the same recorded pronunciation, \de.zi.ɲe\. Grammar is what tells them apart: one is averb, the other anadjective, so most sentences will only accept one of them. They share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 16698, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
désigner is recorded at frequency rank #5,127, classified as averb, pronounced \de.zi.ɲe\. désignés is at rank #11,571, tagged as anadj, pronounced \de.zi.ɲe\.
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 16698, this pair ranks #386,661 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of désigner vs désignés
Shared letters: dginsé. Private to "désigner": er. Private to "désignés": -.
"désigner" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC · "désignés" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "désigner" and "désignés" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "désigner" or "désignés"?
Remembering désigner vs désignés
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “désigner”; for an adjective, it's “désignés”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “désigner” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable