Which to use
“servir” and “sévir” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,379
- “servir” frequency rank
- #30,832
- “sévir” frequency rank
- 32211
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | servir | sévir |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | S’acquitter de certains offices, de certaines obligations envers une personne ou une collectivité. | Exercer la répression avec rigueur, contre les personnes, leurs actes. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set servir and sévir apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. servir (\sɛʁ.viʁ\) and sévir (\se.viʁ\) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 32211, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
servir is recorded at frequency rank #1,379, classified as averb, pronounced \sɛʁ.viʁ\. sévir is at rank #30,832, tagged as averb, pronounced \se.viʁ\.
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 32211, this pair ranks #298,772 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of servir vs sévir
Shared letters: irsv. Private to "servir": e. Private to "sévir": é.
"servir" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "sévir" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- servir ← esrvir · serivr · serrvir · servirr · servri · servvir · sevrir · srevir
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "servir" and "sévir" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "servir" or "sévir"?
Remembering servir vs sévir
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “servir” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable