Which to use
“réponse” is a noun and “repoussé” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #698
- “réponse” frequency rank
- #11,289
- “repoussé” frequency rank
- 11987
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | réponse | repoussé |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Parole dite, ou acte effectué, en réaction à une question posée, une demande, ou à une déclaration, ou encore à un évènement. | Qualifie la matière en plaque (cuir ou métal), que l’on a décoré en le travaillant à l’envers, au marteau ou avec des instruments spéciaux. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set réponse and repoussé apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: réponse is \ʁe.pɔ̃s\ while repoussé is \ʁə.pu.se\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 11987, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
réponse is recorded at frequency rank #698, classified as anoun, pronounced \ʁe.pɔ̃s\. repoussé is at rank #11,289, tagged as anadj, pronounced \ʁə.pu.se\.
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 11987, this pair ranks #407,013 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of réponse vs repoussé
Shared letters: eoprsé. Private to "réponse": n. Private to "repoussé": u.
"réponse" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV · "repoussé" · 8 letters · shape CVCVVCCV
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "réponse" and "repoussé" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "réponse" or "repoussé"?
Remembering réponse vs repoussé
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “réponse”; for an adjective, it's “repoussé”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “réponse” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable