Which to use
“pètes” and “pute” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #48,737
- “pètes” frequency rank
- #3,284
- “pute” frequency rank
- 52021
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | pètes | pute |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Pluriel de pète. | Prostituée. |
Where the eye mixes pètes and pute
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between pètes and pute
A purely visual mix-up. pètes (\pɛt\) and pute (\pyt\) 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 52021, 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\. pute is at rank #3,284, tagged as anoun, pronounced \pyt\.
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 52021, this pair ranks #150,751 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of pètes vs pute
Shared letters: ept. Private to "pètes": sè. Private to "pute": u.
"pètes" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "pute" · 4 letters · shape CVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- pute ← ppute · ptue · putte · upte
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "pètes" for "pute" ever safe?
Frequency check: "pètes" vs "pute" - which ranks higher?
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 "pètes" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "pute" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #150,751 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "pètes" and "pute" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "peep vs pètes". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #150,751 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.