Which to use
“équivalence” is a noun and “équivalentes” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #16,522
- “équivalence” frequency rank
- #20,619
- “équivalentes” frequency rank
- 37141
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | équivalence | équivalentes |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Égalité de valeur. | Féminin pluriel de équivalent. |
Where the eye mixes équivalence and équivalentes
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 10 letters in sequence. équivalence runs 11 letters (VCVVCVCVCCV) against équivalentes's 12 (VCVVCVCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: équivalence vs équivalentes
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: équivalence is \e.ki.va.lɑ̃s\ while équivalentes is \e.ki.va.lɑ̃t\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 37141, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
équivalence is recorded at frequency rank #16,522, classified as anoun, pronounced \e.ki.va.lɑ̃s\. équivalentes is at rank #20,619, tagged as anadj, pronounced \e.ki.va.lɑ̃t\.
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 37141, this pair ranks #264,596 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of équivalence vs équivalentes
Shared letters: aeilnquvé. Private to "équivalence": c. Private to "équivalentes": st.
"équivalence" · 11 letters · shape VCVVCVCVCCV · "équivalentes" · 12 letters · shape VCVVCVCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "équivalence" for "équivalentes" ever safe?
In ordinary French text, does "équivalence" or "équivalentes" show up more?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "équivalence" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "équivalentes" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #264,596 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "équivalence" and "équivalentes" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "équivalences vs équivalentes". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #264,596 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.