ApachevsapachesWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: Apache is a name, apaches is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“Apache” is a name and “apaches” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#24,101
“Apache” frequency rank
#44,859
“apaches” frequency rank
68960
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Apache apaches
Definition Amérindien appartenant à une des nations apaches, habitant le Sud-Ouest des États-Unis, autrefois célèbre par son courage et sa ruse à la guerre. Pluriel de apache.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Apache and apaches apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
Apache
7 ch
apaches

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

Apache and apaches form a confusable pair in the French index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “Apache” sits inside “apaches” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 68960, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Apache is recorded at frequency rank #24,101, classified as aname, pronounced \a.paʃ\. apaches is at rank #44,859, tagged as anoun, pronounced \a.paʃ\.

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 68960, this pair ranks #57,044 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Frequency comparison

Apache#24,101
apaches#44,859

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Apache" and "apaches" be used interchangeably?
No, "Apache" and "apaches" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering Apache vs apaches

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a name, it's “Apache”; for a noun, it's “apaches”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Apache” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list