Which to use
“fidèle” is an adjective and “file” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,138
- “fidèle” frequency rank
- #3,678
- “file” frequency rank
- 6816
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fidèle | file |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Qui garde sa foi, à l’égard d’une personne ou d’une idée, qui est constant dans les affections, qui remplit ses devoirs, ses engagements. | Suite ou rangée de choses ou de personnes disposées en long et l’une derrière l’autre. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set fidèle and file apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: fidèle is \fi.dɛl\ while file is \fil\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 6816, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
fidèle is recorded at frequency rank #3,138, classified as anadj, pronounced \fi.dɛl\. file is at rank #3,678, tagged as anoun, pronounced \fil\.
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 6816, this pair ranks #425,132 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of fidèle vs file
Shared letters: efil. Private to "fidèle": dè. Private to "file": -.
"fidèle" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV · "file" · 4 letters · shape CVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- file ← ffile · flie · ifle
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "fidèle" and "file" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "fidèle" or "file"?
Remembering fidèle vs file
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “fidèle”; for a noun, it's “file”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “fidèle” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable