Which to use
“sauf” is an adjective and “sauta” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #661
- “sauf” frequency rank
- #44,174
- “sauta” frequency rank
- 44835
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | sauf | sauta |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Qui n’a pas reçu d’atteinte, qui a échappé au péril. | Troisième personne du singulier du passé simple de sauter. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set sauf and sauta apart are highlighted. They share 3 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: sauf is \sof\ while sauta is \so.ta\. 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 (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 44835, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
sauf is recorded at frequency rank #661, classified as anadj, pronounced \sof\. sauta is at rank #44,174, tagged as averb, pronounced \so.ta\.
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 44835, this pair ranks #207,461 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of sauf vs sauta
Shared letters: asu. Private to "sauf": f. Private to "sauta": t.
"sauf" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "sauta" · 5 letters · shape CVVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "sauf" and "sauta" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "sauf" or "sauta"?
Remembering sauf vs sauta
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “sauf”; for a verb, it's “sauta”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “sauf” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable