Which to use
“états” and “étuis” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #563
- “états” frequency rank
- #47,703
- “étuis” frequency rank
- 48266
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | états | étuis |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Pluriel de état. | Pluriel de étui. |
Where the eye mixes états and étuis
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence. états (VCVCC) and étuis (VCVVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses états with étuis
A purely visual mix-up. états (\e.ta\) and étuis (\e.tɥi\) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 48266, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
états is recorded at frequency rank #563, classified as anoun, pronounced \e.ta\. étuis is at rank #47,703, tagged as anoun, pronounced \e.tɥi\.
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 48266, this pair ranks #180,280 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of états vs étuis
Shared letters: sté. Private to "états": a. Private to "étuis": iu.
"états" · 5 letters · shape VCVCC · "étuis" · 5 letters · shape VCVVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "états" and "étuis" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary French text, does "états" or "étuis" show up more?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "états" and "étuis" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "états" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "étuis" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #180,280 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "états" and "étuis" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "étai vs étuis". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #180,280 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.