Which to use
“imparfait” and “imparfaite” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #19,316
- “imparfait” frequency rank
- #28,202
- “imparfaite” frequency rank
- 47518
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | imparfait | imparfaite |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Qui n’est pas parfait. | Féminin singulier de imparfait. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set imparfait and imparfaite apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. imparfait (\ɛ̃.paʁ.fɛ\) and imparfaite (\ɛ̃.paʁ.fɛt\) 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 1 extra letter(s) - “imparfait” sits inside “imparfaite”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 47518, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
imparfait is recorded at frequency rank #19,316, classified as anadj, pronounced \ɛ̃.paʁ.fɛ\. imparfaite is at rank #28,202, tagged as anadj, pronounced \ɛ̃.paʁ.fɛt\.
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 47518, this pair ranks #186,336 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of imparfait vs imparfaite
Shared letters: afimprt. Private to "imparfait": -. Private to "imparfaite": e.
"imparfait" · 9 letters · shape VCCVCCVVC · "imparfaite" · 10 letters · shape VCCVCCVVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- imparfait ← imaprfait · immparfait · impafrait · imparafit · imparfaitt · imparfati · imparffait · imparfiat
- imparfaite ← imaprfaite · immparfaite · impafraite · imparafite · imparfaiet · imparfaitte · imparfatie · imparffaite
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "imparfait" and "imparfaite" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "imparfait" or "imparfaite"?
Remembering imparfait vs imparfaite
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 “imparfait” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable