Which to use
“exam” and “exams” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #28,546
- “exam” frequency rank
- #33,252
- “exams” frequency rank
- 61798
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | exam | exams |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Examen (dans le sens lié aux études universitaires). | Pluriel de exam. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set exam and exams apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
This is the hard kind. exam and exams are pronounced identically (\ɛɡ.zam\) 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) - “exam” sits inside “exams”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 61798, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
exam is recorded at frequency rank #28,546, classified as anoun, pronounced \ɛɡ.zam\. exams is at rank #33,252, tagged as anoun, pronounced \ɛɡ.zam\.
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 61798, this pair ranks #90,376 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of exam vs exams
Shared letters: aemx. Private to "exam": -. Private to "exams": s.
"exam" · 4 letters · shape VCVC · "exams" · 5 letters · shape VCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "exam" and "exams" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "exam" or "exams"?
Remembering exam vs exams
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 “exam” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable