Which to use
“mérite” is a noun and “méritent” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,395
- “mérite” frequency rank
- #5,788
- “méritent” frequency rank
- 7183
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | mérite | méritent |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Ce qui rend une personne digne d’estime. | Troisième personne du pluriel du présent de l’indicatif de mériter. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set mérite and méritent apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Say them out loud and nothing separates them: mérite and méritent carry the same recorded pronunciation, \me.ʁit\. Grammar is what tells them apart: one is anoun, the other averb, so most sentences will only accept one of them. They differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “mérite” sits inside “méritent”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 7183, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
mérite is recorded at frequency rank #1,395, classified as anoun, pronounced \me.ʁit\. méritent is at rank #5,788, tagged as averb, pronounced \me.ʁit\.
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 7183, this pair ranks #423,937 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of mérite vs méritent
Shared letters: eimrté. Private to "mérite": -. Private to "méritent": n.
"mérite" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV · "méritent" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCVCC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "mérite" and "méritent" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "mérite" or "méritent"?
Remembering mérite vs méritent
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “mérite”; for a verb, it's “méritent”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “mérite” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable