Which to use
“pau” and “pH” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #8,284
- “pau” frequency rank
- #10,377
- “pH” frequency rank
- 18661
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | pau | pH |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Variante de pal. | Opposé du logarithme décimal de la concentration en ions hydroniums d’une solution aqueuse. Échelle de mesure de l’acidité d’une solution. ( pH = -log₁₀ [H⁺]) |
Where the eye mixes pau and pH
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Why the eye confuses pau with pH
A purely visual mix-up. pau (\po\) and pH (\pe.aʃ\) 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 18661, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
pau is recorded at frequency rank #8,284, classified as anoun, pronounced \po\. pH is at rank #10,377, tagged as anoun, pronounced \pe.aʃ\.
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 18661, this pair ranks #377,157 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of pau vs pH
Shared letters: p. Private to "pau": au. Private to "pH": h.
"pau" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "pH" · 2 letters · shape CC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "pau" for "pH" ever safe?
Which is more common, "pau" or "pH"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "pau" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "pH" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #377,157 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "pau" and "pH" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "pH vs pio". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #377,157 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.