Which to use
“dour” and “doux” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #44,426
- “dour” frequency rank
- #2,316
- “doux” frequency rank
- 46742
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | dour | doux |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Austère, dur, inhospitalier. | Agréable au toucher. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set dour and doux apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. dour (\ˈdʊə(ɹ)\) and doux (\du\) 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 a single letter - r in “dour” becomes x in “doux”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 46742, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
dour is recorded at frequency rank #44,426, classified as anadj, pronounced \ˈdʊə(ɹ)\. doux is at rank #2,316, tagged as anadj, pronounced \du\.
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 46742, this pair ranks #192,481 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of dour vs doux
Shared letters: dou. Private to "dour": r. Private to "doux": x.
"dour" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "doux" · 4 letters · shape CVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "dour" and "doux" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "dour" or "doux"?
Remembering dour vs doux
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 “dour” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable