Which to use
“vaincre” is a verb and “vaincu” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #6,767
- “vaincre” frequency rank
- #7,768
- “vaincu” frequency rank
- 14535
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | vaincre | vaincu |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Remporter la victoire sur un ennemi, sur un rival, sur un concurrent. | Qui a été vaincu. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set vaincre and vaincu apart are highlighted. They share 5 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: vaincre is \vɛ̃kʁ\ while vaincu is \vɛ̃.ky\. 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 (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 14535, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
vaincre is recorded at frequency rank #6,767, classified as averb, pronounced \vɛ̃kʁ\. vaincu is at rank #7,768, tagged as anadj, pronounced \vɛ̃.ky\.
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 14535, this pair ranks #396,244 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of vaincre vs vaincu
Shared letters: acinv. Private to "vaincre": er. Private to "vaincu": u.
"vaincre" · 7 letters · shape CVVCCCV · "vaincu" · 6 letters · shape CVVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "vaincre" and "vaincu" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "vaincre" or "vaincu"?
Remembering vaincre vs vaincu
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “vaincre”; for an adjective, it's “vaincu”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “vaincre” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable