Which to use
“éternelle” is a noun and “éternels” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #8,641
- “éternelle” frequency rank
- #24,830
- “éternels” frequency rank
- 33471
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | éternelle | éternels |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Masculin pluriel de éternel. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set éternelle and éternels apart are highlighted. They share 7 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 éternels 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 33471, 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\. éternels is at rank #24,830, 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 33471, this pair ranks #290,415 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of éternelle vs éternels
Shared letters: elnrté. Private to "éternelle": -. Private to "éternels": s.
"éternelle" · 9 letters · shape VCVCCVCCV · "éternels" · 8 letters · shape VCVCCVCC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "éternelle" and "éternels" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "éternelle" or "éternels"?
Remembering éternelle vs éternels
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 “éternels”.
- 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