Which to use
“XIXème” and “XXIème” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #29,194
- “XIXème” frequency rank
- #40,084
- “XXIème” frequency rank
- 69278
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | XIXème | XXIème |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Dix-neuvième. | Vingt-et-unième. |
Where the eye mixes XIXème and XXIème
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. XIXème (CVCVCV) and XXIème (CCVVCV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses XIXème with XXIème
A purely visual mix-up. XIXème (\diz.nœ.vjɛm\) and XXIème (\vɛ̃.t‿e.y.njɛm\) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ only by swapping two adjacent letters (ix ↔ xi) - a transposition the eye reads straight past. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 69278, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
XIXème is recorded at frequency rank #29,194, classified as anadj, pronounced \diz.nœ.vjɛm\. XXIème is at rank #40,084, tagged as anadj, pronounced \vɛ̃.t‿e.y.njɛm\.
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 69278, this pair ranks #55,774 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of XIXème vs XXIème
Shared letters: eimxè. Private to "XIXème": -. Private to "XXIème": -.
"XIXème" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV · "XXIème" · 6 letters · shape CCVVCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "XIXème" for "XXIème" ever safe?
In ordinary French text, does "XIXème" or "XXIème" show up more?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "XIXème" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "XXIème" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #55,774 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "XIXème" and "XXIème" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "XXème vs XXIème". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #55,774 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.