pètesvsptsWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“pètes” and “pts” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#48,737
“pètes” frequency rank
#13,041
“pts” frequency rank
61778
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature pètes pts
Definition Pluriel de pète. Pluriel de pᵗ.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set pètes and pts apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
pètes
3 ch
pts

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. pètes (\pɛt\) and pts (\pɔ̃\) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 61778, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

pètes is recorded at frequency rank #48,737, classified as anoun, pronounced \pɛt\. pts is at rank #13,041, tagged as anoun, pronounced \pɔ̃\.

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 61778, this pair ranks #90,496 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of pètes vs pts

Shared letters: pst. Private to "pètes": . Private to "pts": -.

"pètes" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC  ·  "pts" · 3 letters · shape CCC

Frequency comparison

pètes#48,737
pts#13,041

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "pètes" and "pts" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently (\pɛt\ versus \pɔ̃\) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "pètes" or "pts"?
"pts" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #13,041 in our French list, against #48,737 for "pètes". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering pètes vs pts

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 “pètes” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list