Which to use
“fosses” is a noun and “foster” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #16,882
- “fosses” frequency rank
- #17,141
- “foster” frequency rank
- 34023
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fosses | foster |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Pluriel de fosse. | Alimenter, nourrir. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set fosses and foster 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: fosses is \fos\ while foster is \ˈfɒs.tə\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 34023, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
fosses is recorded at frequency rank #16,882, classified as anoun, pronounced \fos\. foster is at rank #17,141, tagged as averb, pronounced \ˈfɒs.tə\.
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 34023, this pair ranks #286,671 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of fosses vs foster
Shared letters: efos. Private to "fosses": -. Private to "foster": rt.
"fosses" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "foster" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "fosses" and "foster" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "fosses" or "foster"?
Remembering fosses vs foster
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “fosses”; for a verb, it's “foster”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “fosses” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable