Which to use
“désires” is a verb and “désirs” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #37,301
- “désires” frequency rank
- #7,819
- “désirs” frequency rank
- 45120
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | désires | désirs |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Deuxième personne du singulier du présent de l’indicatif de désirer. | Pluriel de désir. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set désires and désirs 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: désires and désirs carry the same recorded pronunciation, \de.ziʁ\. Grammar is what tells them apart: one is averb, the other anoun, so most sentences will only accept one of them. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 45120, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
désires is recorded at frequency rank #37,301, classified as averb, pronounced \de.ziʁ\. désirs is at rank #7,819, tagged as anoun, pronounced \de.ziʁ\.
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 45120, this pair ranks #205,247 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of désires vs désirs
Shared letters: dirsé. Private to "désires": e. Private to "désirs": -.
"désires" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC · "désirs" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "désires" and "désirs" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "désires" or "désirs"?
Remembering désires vs désirs
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “désires”; for a noun, it's “désirs”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “désires” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable