Which to use
“DSM” is a name and “dus” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #37,767
- “DSM” frequency rank
- #9,817
- “dus” frequency rank
- 47584
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | DSM | dus |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Manuel classifiant les troubles mentaux, pour un usage statistique, expérimental, de diagnostic ou d’expertise médico-légale. | Masculin pluriel de dû. |
Where the eye mixes DSM and dus
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses DSM with dus
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: DSM is \de.ɛs.ɛm\ while dus is \dy\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (name vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 47584, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
DSM is recorded at frequency rank #37,767, classified as aname, pronounced \de.ɛs.ɛm\. dus is at rank #9,817, tagged as anadj, pronounced \dy\.
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 47584, this pair ranks #185,795 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of DSM vs dus
Shared letters: ds. Private to "DSM": m. Private to "dus": u.
"DSM" · 3 letters · shape CCC · "dus" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "DSM" and "dus" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary French text, does "DSM" or "dus" show up more?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "DSM" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "dus" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #185,795 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "DSM" and "dus" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "DCI vs DSM". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #185,795 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.