Which to use
“putain” and “putois” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #728
- “putain” frequency rank
- #46,379
- “putois” frequency rank
- 47107
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | putain | putois |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Prostituée. | Petit quadrupède carnivore dont la peau sert à faire des fourrures, possédant une glande libérant une puanteur en cas de peur. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set putain and putois apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. putain (\py.tɛ̃\) and putois (\py.twa\) 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 47107, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
putain is recorded at frequency rank #728, classified as anoun, pronounced \py.tɛ̃\. putois is at rank #46,379, tagged as anoun, pronounced \py.twa\.
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 47107, this pair ranks #189,568 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of putain vs putois
Shared letters: iptu. Private to "putain": an. Private to "putois": os.
"putain" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC · "putois" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "putain" and "putois" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "putain" or "putois"?
Remembering putain vs putois
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 “putain” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable