Which to use
“réfugier” is a verb and “réfugiés” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #13,685
- “réfugier” frequency rank
- #3,421
- “réfugiés” frequency rank
- 17106
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | réfugier | réfugiés |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Se retirer en quelque lieu ou auprès de quelqu’un pour être en sûreté, pour être à l’abri. | Masculin pluriel de réfugié. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set réfugier and réfugiés apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Say them out loud and nothing separates them: réfugier and réfugiés carry the same recorded pronunciation, \ʁe.fy.ʒje\. Grammar is what tells them apart: one is averb, the other anadjective, so most sentences will only accept one of them. They share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 17106, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
réfugier is recorded at frequency rank #13,685, classified as averb, pronounced \ʁe.fy.ʒje\. réfugiés is at rank #3,421, tagged as anadj, 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 17106, this pair ranks #384,767 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of réfugier vs réfugiés
Shared letters: fgirué. Private to "réfugier": e. Private to "réfugiés": s.
"réfugier" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCVVC · "réfugiés" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCVVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "réfugier" and "réfugiés" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "réfugier" or "réfugiés"?
Remembering réfugier vs réfugiés
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “réfugier”; for an adjective, it's “réfugiés”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “réfugier” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable