Which to use
“différence” and “différences” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,060
- “différence” frequency rank
- #3,325
- “différences” frequency rank
- 4385
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | différence | différences |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Objet de comparaison, de distinction d’une chose par rapport à une autre. | Pluriel de différence. |
Same sound, different letters: différence vs différences
Muted letters are shared; highlighted letters are the only spelling cue when pronunciation matches. Shared run: 10 letters.
Homophone desk: différence vs différences
This is the hard kind. différence and différences are pronounced identically (\di.fe.ʁɑ̃s\) and both work as anoun. Neither the ear nor the grammar will rescue you; only the meaning does, so the glosses below are the whole decision. They differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “différence” sits inside “différences”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 4385, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
différence is recorded at frequency rank #1,060, classified as anoun, pronounced \di.fe.ʁɑ̃s\. différences is at rank #3,325, tagged as anoun, pronounced \di.fe.ʁɑ̃s\.
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 4385, this pair ranks #431,741 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of différence vs différences
Shared letters: cdefinré. Private to "différence": -. Private to "différences": s.
"différence" · 10 letters · shape CVCCVCVCCV · "différences" · 11 letters · shape CVCCVCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "différence" and "différences" mean the same thing in a sentence?
In ordinary French text, does "différence" or "différences" show up more?
After this comparison
Sound matches; spelling doesn't. Use the exits below to lock the right form or check a cousin pair.
- Full dictionary entry for "différence" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "différences" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #431,741 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "différence" and "différences" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "différences vs différenciées". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #431,741 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.