égoïstevsexisteWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: égoïste is a adjective, existe is a verb, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“égoïste” is an adjective and “existe” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#10,429
“égoïste” frequency rank
#554
“existe” frequency rank
10983
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature égoïste existe
Definition Qui ne pense qu'à soi, à ses intérêts. Première personne du singulier de l’indicatif présent de exister.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set égoïste and existe apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
égoïste
6 ch
existe

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: égoïste is \e.ɡɔ.ist\ while existe is \ɛɡ.zist\. 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 (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 10983, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

égoïste is recorded at frequency rank #10,429, classified as anadj, pronounced \e.ɡɔ.ist\. existe is at rank #554, tagged as averb, pronounced \ɛɡ.zist\.

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 10983, this pair ranks #410,910 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of égoïste vs existe

Shared letters: est. Private to "égoïste": goéï. Private to "existe": ix.

"égoïste" · 7 letters · shape VCVCCCV  ·  "existe" · 6 letters · shape VCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • existeeixste · exiset · exisste · existte · exitse · exsite · exxiste · xeiste

Frequency comparison

égoïste#10,429
existe#554

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "égoïste" and "existe" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "égoïste" is an adjective and "existe" a verb, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "égoïste" or "existe"?
"existe" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #554 in our French list, against #10,429 for "égoïste". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering égoïste vs existe

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “égoïste”; for a verb, it's “existe”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “égoïste” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list