Which to use
“éternelle” is a noun and “éternelles” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #8,641
- “éternelle” frequency rank
- #33,091
- “éternelles” frequency rank
- 41732
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | éternelle | éternelles |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Plante de la famille des composées, généralement appelée immortelle, qui est ainsi nommée parce que ses fleurs ne se fanent jamais, une fois coupées. | Féminin pluriel de éternel. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set éternelle and éternelles apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Say them out loud and nothing separates them: éternelle and éternelles carry the same recorded pronunciation, \e.tɛʁ.nɛl\. Grammar is what tells them apart: one is anoun, the other anadjective, so most sentences will only accept one of them. They differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “éternelle” sits inside “éternelles”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 41732, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
éternelle is recorded at frequency rank #8,641, classified as anoun, pronounced \e.tɛʁ.nɛl\. éternelles is at rank #33,091, tagged as anadj, pronounced \e.tɛʁ.nɛl\.
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 41732, this pair ranks #230,907 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of éternelle vs éternelles
Shared letters: elnrté. Private to "éternelle": -. Private to "éternelles": s.
"éternelle" · 9 letters · shape VCVCCVCCV · "éternelles" · 10 letters · shape VCVCCVCCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "éternelle" and "éternelles" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "éternelle" or "éternelles"?
Remembering éternelle vs éternelles
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “éternelle”; for an adjective, it's “éternelles”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “éternelle” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable