discretvsdiscrètesWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“discret” and “discrètes” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#5,969
“discret” frequency rank
#21,910
“discrètes” frequency rank
27879
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature discret discrètes
Definition Qui ne se fait pas remarquer, par exemple qui est réservé, retenu dans ses paroles et dans ses actions. Féminin pluriel de discret.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set discret and discrètes apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
discret
9 ch
discrètes

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. discret (\dis.kʁɛ\) and discrètes (\dis.kʁɛt\) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 27879, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

discret is recorded at frequency rank #5,969, classified as anadj, pronounced \dis.kʁɛ\. discrètes is at rank #21,910, tagged as anadj, pronounced \dis.kʁɛt\.

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 27879, this pair ranks #326,205 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of discret vs discrètes

Shared letters: cdeirst. Private to "discret": -. Private to "discrètes": è.

"discret" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC  ·  "discrètes" · 9 letters · shape CVCCCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • discretddiscret · dicsret · disccret · discert · discrett · discrret · discrte · disrcet

Frequency comparison

discret#5,969
discrètes#21,910

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "discret" and "discrètes" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently (\dis.kʁɛ\ versus \dis.kʁɛt\) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "discret" or "discrètes"?
"discret" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #5,969 in our French list, against #21,910 for "discrètes". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering discret vs discrètes

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 “discret” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list