Which to use
“systèmes” and “systems” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,891
- “systèmes” frequency rank
- #18,887
- “systems” frequency rank
- 20778
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | systèmes | systems |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Pluriel de système. | Pluriel de system. |
Where the eye mixes systèmes and systems
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses systèmes with systems
A purely visual mix-up. systèmes (\sis.tɛm\) and systems (\ˈsɪs.təmz\) 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 20778, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
systèmes is recorded at frequency rank #1,891, classified as anoun, pronounced \sis.tɛm\. systems is at rank #18,887, tagged as anoun, pronounced \ˈsɪs.təmz\.
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 20778, this pair ranks #366,557 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of systèmes vs systems
Shared letters: emsty. Private to "systèmes": è. Private to "systems": -.
"systèmes" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC · "systems" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- systems ← ssystems · ssytems · sysetms · sysstems · systemms · systemss · systesm · systmes
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "systèmes" and "systems" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "systèmes" or "systems"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "systèmes" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "systems" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #366,557 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "systèmes" and "systems" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "sisters vs systems". 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 #366,557 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.