Which to use
“étroites” and “étroits” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #14,586
- “étroites” frequency rank
- #16,283
- “étroits” frequency rank
- 30869
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | étroites | étroits |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Féminin pluriel de étroit. | Masculin pluriel de étroit. |
Where the eye mixes étroites and étroits
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. étroites runs 8 letters (VCCVVCVC) against étroits's 7 (VCCVVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses étroites with étroits
A purely visual mix-up. étroites (\e.tʁwat\) and étroits (\e.tʁwa\) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 30869, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
étroites is recorded at frequency rank #14,586, classified as anadj, pronounced \e.tʁwat\. étroits is at rank #16,283, tagged as anadj, pronounced \e.tʁwa\.
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 30869, this pair ranks #307,487 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of étroites vs étroits
Shared letters: iorsté. Private to "étroites": e. Private to "étroits": -.
"étroites" · 8 letters · shape VCCVVCVC · "étroits" · 7 letters · shape VCCVVCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "étroites" and "étroits" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary French text, does "étroites" or "étroits" show up more?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "étroites" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "étroits" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #307,487 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "étroites" and "étroits" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "étroites vs étroitesse". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #307,487 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.