Which to use
“réfléchi” is an adjective and “réfléchir” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #8,034
- “réfléchi” frequency rank
- #2,451
- “réfléchir” frequency rank
- 10485
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | réfléchi | réfléchir |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Qui subit une réflexion. | Renvoyer les rayons lumineux, caloriques, sonores, qui ont été reçus. |
Where the eye mixes réfléchi and réfléchir
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence. réfléchi runs 8 letters (CVCCVCCV) against réfléchir's 9 (CVCCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between réfléchi and réfléchir
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: réfléchi is \ʁe.fle.ʃi\ while réfléchir is \ʁe.fle.ʃiʁ\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “réfléchi” sits inside “réfléchir”, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 10485, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
réfléchi is recorded at frequency rank #8,034, classified as anadj, pronounced \ʁe.fle.ʃi\. réfléchir is at rank #2,451, tagged as averb, pronounced \ʁe.fle.ʃiʁ\.
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 10485, this pair ranks #412,813 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of réfléchi vs réfléchir
Shared letters: cfhilré. Private to "réfléchi": -. Private to "réfléchir": -.
"réfléchi" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCCV · "réfléchir" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "réfléchi" and "réfléchir" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "réfléchi" vs "réfléchir" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Eye-level mix-up between "réfléchi" and "réfléchir" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "réfléchi" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "réfléchir" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #412,813 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "réfléchi" and "réfléchir" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "réfléchi vs réfléchie". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #412,813 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.