égoïstesvsexistesWhat's the difference?

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

Which to use

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

#21,821
“égoïstes” frequency rank
#39,287
“existes” frequency rank
61108
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature égoïstes existes
Definition Pluriel de égoïste. Deuxième personne du singulier du présent de l’indicatif de exister.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set égoïstes and existes apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
égoïstes
7 ch
existes

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: égoïstes is \e.ɡɔ.ist\ while existes 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 61108, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

égoïstes is recorded at frequency rank #21,821, classified as anadj, pronounced \e.ɡɔ.ist\. existes is at rank #39,287, 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 61108, this pair ranks #94,026 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of égoïstes vs existes

Shared letters: est. Private to "égoïstes": goéï. Private to "existes": ix.

"égoïstes" · 8 letters · shape VCVCCCVC  ·  "existes" · 7 letters · shape VCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • existeseixstes · exisets · exisstes · existess · existse · existtes · exitses · exsites

Frequency comparison

égoïstes#21,821
existes#39,287

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "égoïstes" and "existes" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "égoïstes" is an adjective and "existes" a verb, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "égoïstes" or "existes"?
"égoïstes" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #21,821 in our French list, against #39,287 for "existes". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering égoïstes vs existes

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

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