édificesvsédifierWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: édifices is a noun, édifier is a verb, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“édifices” is a noun and “édifier” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#9,256
“édifices” frequency rank
#25,177
“édifier” frequency rank
34433
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature édifices édifier
Definition Pluriel de édifice. Construire, en parlant des églises, des palais et de très grands bâtiments.

Where the spellings diverge

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

8 ch
édifices
7 ch
édifier

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: édifices is \e.di.fis\ while édifier is \e.di.fje\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 34433, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

édifices is recorded at frequency rank #9,256, classified as anoun, pronounced \e.di.fis\. édifier is at rank #25,177, tagged as averb, pronounced \e.di.fje\.

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 34433, this pair ranks #283,868 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of édifices vs édifier

Shared letters: defié. Private to "édifices": cs. Private to "édifier": r.

"édifices" · 8 letters · shape VCVCVCVC  ·  "édifier" · 7 letters · shape VCVCVVC

Frequency comparison

édifices#9,256
édifier#25,177

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "édifices" and "édifier" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "édifices" is a noun and "édifier" a verb, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "édifices" or "édifier"?
"édifices" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #9,256 in our French list, against #25,177 for "édifier". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering édifices vs édifier

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “édifices”; for a verb, it's “édifier”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “édifices” 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