Which to use
“égoïsme” is a noun and “égoïstes” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #18,098
- “égoïsme” frequency rank
- #21,821
- “égoïstes” frequency rank
- 39919
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | égoïsme | égoïstes |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tendance a décider et agir en privilégiant son intérêt propre aux dépens de celui du reste du monde en général, ou d'autrui en particulier. | Pluriel de égoïste. |
Where the eye mixes égoïsme and égoïstes
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. égoïsme runs 7 letters (VCVCCCV) against égoïstes's 8 (VCVCCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: égoïsme vs égoïstes
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: égoïsme is \e.ɡɔ.ism\ while égoïstes is \e.ɡɔ.ist\. 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 adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 39919, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
égoïsme is recorded at frequency rank #18,098, classified as anoun, pronounced \e.ɡɔ.ism\. égoïstes is at rank #21,821, tagged as anadj, pronounced \e.ɡɔ.ist\.
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 39919, this pair ranks #244,380 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of égoïsme vs égoïstes
Shared letters: egoséï. Private to "égoïsme": m. Private to "égoïstes": t.
"égoïsme" · 7 letters · shape VCVCCCV · "égoïstes" · 8 letters · shape VCVCCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "égoïsme" and "égoïstes" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary French text, does "égoïsme" or "égoïstes" show up more?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "égoïsme" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "égoïstes" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #244,380 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "égoïsme" and "égoïstes" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "égoïstes vs existes". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #244,380 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.