Which to use
“prévenu” and “prévu” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #4,794
- “prévenu” frequency rank
- #1,401
- “prévu” frequency rank
- 6195
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | prévenu | prévu |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Qui a par avance des sentiments favorables ou défavorables. | Qui a été prévu, à quoi l’on s’attend. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set prévenu and prévu apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. prévenu (\pʁɛv.ny\) and prévu (\pʁe.vy\) 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 6195, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
prévenu is recorded at frequency rank #4,794, classified as anadj, pronounced \pʁɛv.ny\. prévu is at rank #1,401, tagged as anadj, pronounced \pʁe.vy\.
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 6195, this pair ranks #426,902 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of prévenu vs prévu
Shared letters: pruvé. Private to "prévenu": en. Private to "prévu": -.
"prévenu" · 7 letters · shape CCVCVCV · "prévu" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "prévenu" and "prévu" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "prévenu" or "prévu"?
Remembering prévenu vs prévu
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 “prévenu” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable