Which to use
“fourbe” is an adjective and “foute” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #26,010
- “fourbe” frequency rank
- #24,598
- “foute” frequency rank
- 50608
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fourbe | foute |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Qui emploie, pour tromper, une adresse perfide. | Première personne du singulier du présent du subjonctif de foutre. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set fourbe and foute 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: fourbe is \fuʁb\ while foute is \fut\. 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 50608, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
fourbe is recorded at frequency rank #26,010, classified as anadj, pronounced \fuʁb\. foute is at rank #24,598, tagged as averb, pronounced \fut\.
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 50608, this pair ranks #161,300 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of fourbe vs foute
Shared letters: efou. Private to "fourbe": br. Private to "foute": t.
"fourbe" · 6 letters · shape CVVCCV · "foute" · 5 letters · shape CVVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "fourbe" and "foute" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "fourbe" or "foute"?
Remembering fourbe vs foute
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “fourbe”; for a verb, it's “foute”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “fourbe” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable