Which to use
“discute” is a noun and “discuter” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #6,948
- “discute” frequency rank
- #2,171
- “discuter” frequency rank
- 9119
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | discute | discuter |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Discussion, conversation. Surtout présent dans l'expression faire ou taper la discute. | Examiner, débattre avec quelqu’un une question, une affaire avec soin, avec exactitude, et en bien considérer le pour et le contre. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set discute and discuter apart are highlighted. They share 7 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: discute is \dis.kyt\ while discuter is \dis.ky.te\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “discute” sits inside “discuter”, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 9119, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
discute is recorded at frequency rank #6,948, classified as anoun, pronounced \dis.kyt\. discuter is at rank #2,171, tagged as averb, pronounced \dis.ky.te\.
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 9119, this pair ranks #417,738 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of discute vs discuter
Shared letters: cdeistu. Private to "discute": -. Private to "discuter": r.
"discute" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV · "discuter" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "discute" and "discuter" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "discute" or "discuter"?
Remembering discute vs discuter
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “discute”; for a verb, it's “discuter”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “discute” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable