Which to use
“obtenir” and “obtenu” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #906
- “obtenir” frequency rank
- #1,828
- “obtenu” frequency rank
- 2734
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | obtenir | obtenu |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Se faire accorder par tel ou tel moyen une chose que l’on désire. | Participe passé masculin singulier de obtenir. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set obtenir and obtenu apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. obtenir (\ɔp.tə.niʁ\) and obtenu (\ɔp.tə.ny\) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 2734, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
obtenir is recorded at frequency rank #906, classified as averb, pronounced \ɔp.tə.niʁ\. obtenu is at rank #1,828, tagged as averb, pronounced \ɔp.tə.ny\.
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 2734, this pair ranks #435,579 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of obtenir vs obtenu
Shared letters: benot. Private to "obtenir": ir. Private to "obtenu": u.
"obtenir" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCVC · "obtenu" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "obtenir" and "obtenu" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "obtenir" or "obtenu"?
Remembering obtenir vs obtenu
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 “obtenir” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable