Which to use
“ell” and “elles” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #49,057
- “ell” frequency rank
- #176
- “elles” frequency rank
- 49233
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ell | elles |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | il | Pronom clitique de la troisième personne du pluriel féminin sujet, pour parler d’un groupe de femmes, d’animaux ou de choses grammaticalement féminines. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ell and elles apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. ell (\ˈeʎ\) and elles (\ɛl\) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “ell” sits inside “elles”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 49233, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ell is recorded at frequency rank #49,057, classified as apron, pronounced \ˈeʎ\. elles is at rank #176, tagged as apron, pronounced \ɛl\.
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 49233, this pair ranks #172,310 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of ell vs elles
Shared letters: el. Private to "ell": -. Private to "elles": s.
"ell" · 3 letters · shape VCC · "elles" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- elles ← elels · eles · elless · ellse · leles
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ell" and "elles" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "ell" or "elles"?
Remembering ell vs elles
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “ell” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable