goûtvsgoutteWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“goût” and “goutte” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#1,293
“goût” frequency rank
#6,398
“goutte” frequency rank
7691
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature goût goutte
Definition Celui des cinq sens par lequel on discerne les saveurs. Très petite quantité d’un liquide qui se détache avec une forme sphérique.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set goût and goutte apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
goût
6 ch
goutte

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. goût (\ɡu\) and goutte (\ɡut\) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 7691, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

goût is recorded at frequency rank #1,293, classified as anoun, pronounced \ɡu\. goutte is at rank #6,398, tagged as anoun, pronounced \ɡut\.

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 7691, this pair ranks #422,434 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of goût vs goutte

Shared letters: got. Private to "goût": û. Private to "goutte": eu.

"goût" · 4 letters · shape CVVC  ·  "goutte" · 6 letters · shape CVVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • goutteggoutte · gotute · goute · goutet · guotte · ogutte

Frequency comparison

goût#1,293
goutte#6,398

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "goût" and "goutte" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently (\ɡu\ versus \ɡut\) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "goût" or "goutte"?
"goût" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,293 in our French list, against #6,398 for "goutte". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering goût vs goutte

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “goût” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list