Which to use
“épreuve” and “épreuves” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,158
- “épreuve” frequency rank
- #3,972
- “épreuves” frequency rank
- 6130
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | épreuve | épreuves |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Action d’éprouver quelque chose ou quelqu'un, essai, expérience, test qu’on fait de quelque chose à surmonter. | Pluriel de épreuve. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set épreuve and épreuves apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
This is the hard kind. épreuve and épreuves are pronounced identically (\e.pʁœv\) 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) - “épreuve” sits inside “épreuves”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 6130, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
épreuve is recorded at frequency rank #2,158, classified as anoun, pronounced \e.pʁœv\. épreuves is at rank #3,972, tagged as anoun, pronounced \e.pʁœv\.
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 6130, this pair ranks #427,096 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of épreuve vs épreuves
Shared letters: epruvé. Private to "épreuve": -. Private to "épreuves": s.
"épreuve" · 7 letters · shape VCCVVCV · "épreuves" · 8 letters · shape VCCVVCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "épreuve" and "épreuves" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "épreuve" or "épreuves"?
Remembering épreuve vs épreuves
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 “épreuve” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable