Which to use
“mépris” is a noun and “mépriser” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #4,964
- “mépris” frequency rank
- #21,405
- “mépriser” frequency rank
- 26369
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | mépris | mépriser |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Sentiment par lequel on juge une personne ou une chose indigne d’estime, d’égards, d’attention. | Considérer quelqu’un comme indigne d’estime. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set mépris and mépriser apart are highlighted. They share 6 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: mépris is \me.pʁi\ while mépriser is \me.pʁi.ze\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “mépris” sits inside “mépriser”, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 26369, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
mépris is recorded at frequency rank #4,964, classified as anoun, pronounced \me.pʁi\. mépriser is at rank #21,405, tagged as averb, pronounced \me.pʁi.ze\.
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 26369, this pair ranks #335,430 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of mépris vs mépriser
Shared letters: imprsé. Private to "mépris": -. Private to "mépriser": e.
"mépris" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "mépriser" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "mépris" and "mépriser" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "mépris" or "mépriser"?
Remembering mépris vs mépriser
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “mépris”; for a verb, it's “mépriser”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “mépris” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable