Which to use
“simples” is a noun and “simuler” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,596
- “simples” frequency rank
- #17,817
- “simuler” frequency rank
- 20413
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | simples | simuler |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Plantes condimentaires et médicinales telles que la lavande, le romarin, la sauge, le thym, la camomille, l’armoise, l’hysope, etc. | Feindre, imiter, faire paraître réelle une chose qui n’est pas. |
Where the eye mixes simples and simuler
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between simples and simuler
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: simples is \sɛ̃pl\ while simuler is \si.my.le\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 20413, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
simples is recorded at frequency rank #2,596, classified as anoun, pronounced \sɛ̃pl\. simuler is at rank #17,817, tagged as averb, pronounced \si.my.le\.
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 20413, this pair ranks #368,403 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of simples vs simuler
Shared letters: eilms. Private to "simples": p. Private to "simuler": ru.
"simples" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC · "simuler" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "simples" for "simuler" ever safe?
Which is more common, "simples" or "simuler"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "simples" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "simuler" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #368,403 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "simples" and "simuler" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "simuler vs stimulée". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #368,403 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.