Which to use
“préceptes” and “prétextes” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #22,382
- “préceptes” frequency rank
- #24,342
- “prétextes” frequency rank
- 46724
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | préceptes | prétextes |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Pluriel de précepte. | Pluriel de prétexte. |
Where the eye mixes préceptes and prétextes
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between préceptes and prétextes
A purely visual mix-up. préceptes (\pʁe.sɛpt\) and prétextes (\pʁe.tɛkst\) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 46724, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
préceptes is recorded at frequency rank #22,382, classified as anoun, pronounced \pʁe.sɛpt\. prétextes is at rank #24,342, tagged as anoun, pronounced \pʁe.tɛkst\.
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 46724, this pair ranks #192,627 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of préceptes vs prétextes
Shared letters: eprsté. Private to "préceptes": c. Private to "prétextes": x.
"préceptes" · 9 letters · shape CCVCVCCVC · "prétextes" · 9 letters · shape CCVCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "préceptes" for "prétextes" ever safe?
Which is more common, "préceptes" or "prétextes"?
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 "préceptes" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "prétextes" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #192,627 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "préceptes" and "prétextes" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "prêtées vs prétextes". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #192,627 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.