Which to use
“ele” is a noun and “êtes” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #40,239
- “ele” frequency rank
- #362
- “êtes” frequency rank
- 40601
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ele | êtes |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Parole, discours, propos. | Deuxième personne du pluriel de l’indicatif présent de être. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ele and êtes apart are highlighted. They share 1 letter in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: ele is anoun and êtesaverb. On the page they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 40601, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ele is recorded at frequency rank #40,239, classified as anoun. êtes is at rank #362, tagged as averb, pronounced \ɛt\.
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 40601, this pair ranks #239,319 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of ele vs êtes
Shared letters: e. Private to "ele": l. Private to "êtes": stê.
"ele" · 3 letters · shape VCV · "êtes" · 4 letters · shape VCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ele" and "êtes" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "ele" or "êtes"?
Remembering ele vs êtes
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “ele”; for a verb, it's “êtes”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “ele” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable