Which to use
“posséder” is a verb and “possédés” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #6,986
- “posséder” frequency rank
- #33,837
- “possédés” frequency rank
- 40823
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | posséder | possédés |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Avoir à soi, en son pouvoir ; avoir la propriété ou la possession de. | Masculin pluriel de possédé. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set posséder and possédés 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: posséder and possédés carry the same recorded pronunciation, \pɔ.se.de\. Grammar is what tells them apart: one is averb, the other anadjective, so most sentences will only accept one of them. They share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 40823, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
posséder is recorded at frequency rank #6,986, classified as averb, pronounced \pɔ.se.de\. possédés is at rank #33,837, tagged as anadj, pronounced \pɔ.se.de\.
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 40823, this pair ranks #237,619 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of posséder vs possédés
Shared letters: dopsé. Private to "posséder": er. Private to "possédés": -.
"posséder" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC · "possédés" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "posséder" and "possédés" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "posséder" or "possédés"?
Remembering posséder vs possédés
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “posséder”; for an adjective, it's “possédés”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “posséder” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable