Which to use
“réfugié” is a noun and “réfugier” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #10,939
- “réfugié” frequency rank
- #13,685
- “réfugier” frequency rank
- 24624
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | réfugié | réfugier |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Personne qui a quitté son pays ou sa région pour fuir un danger. | Se retirer en quelque lieu ou auprès de quelqu’un pour être en sûreté, pour être à l’abri. |
Same sound, different letters: réfugié vs réfugier
Muted letters are shared; highlighted letters are the only spelling cue when pronunciation matches. Shared run: 6 letters. réfugié runs 7 letters (CVCVCVV) against réfugier's 8 (CVCVCVVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Same sound, different spelling - réfugié / réfugier
Say them out loud and nothing separates them: réfugié and réfugier carry the same recorded pronunciation, \ʁe.fy.ʒje\. Grammar is what tells them apart: one is anoun, the other averb, so most sentences will only accept one of them. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 24624, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
réfugié is recorded at frequency rank #10,939, classified as anoun, pronounced \ʁe.fy.ʒje\. réfugier is at rank #13,685, tagged as averb, pronounced \ʁe.fy.ʒje\.
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 24624, this pair ranks #345,546 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of réfugié vs réfugier
Shared letters: fgirué. Private to "réfugié": -. Private to "réfugier": e.
"réfugié" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVV · "réfugier" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCVVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "réfugié" for "réfugier" ever safe?
Which is more common, "réfugié" or "réfugier"?
Useful next steps
You've separated the homophone pair "réfugié" / "réfugier". Follow the links when you need the full entry or a neighbour that trips the same ear.
- Full dictionary entry for "réfugié" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "réfugier" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #345,546 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "réfugié" and "réfugier" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "réfugiées vs réfugier". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #345,546 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.