externevsexternesWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“externe” and “externes” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#4,576
“externe” frequency rank
#8,109
“externes” frequency rank
12685
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature externe externes
Definition Qui est, qui paraît au-dehors. Pluriel de externe.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set externe and externes apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
externe
8 ch
externes

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

This is the hard kind. externe and externes are pronounced identically (\ɛks.tɛʁn\) and both work as anadjective. 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) - “externe” sits inside “externes”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 12685, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

externe is recorded at frequency rank #4,576, classified as anadj, pronounced \ɛks.tɛʁn\. externes is at rank #8,109, tagged as anadj, pronounced \ɛk.stɛʁn\.

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 12685, this pair ranks #404,222 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of externe vs externes

Shared letters: enrtx. Private to "externe": -. Private to "externes": s.

"externe" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCV  ·  "externes" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • externeetxerne · exetrne · extenre · exteren · externne · exterrne · extrene · extterne
  • externesetxernes · exetrnes · extenres · exterens · externess · externnes · externse · exterrnes

Frequency comparison

externe#4,576
externes#8,109

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "externe" and "externes" be used interchangeably?
No. They are pronounced the same (\ɛks.tɛʁn\), which is exactly why they get swapped in writing, but the dictionary meanings above are different, and pronunciation is no guide here.
Which is more common, "externe" or "externes"?
"externe" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,576 in our French list, against #8,109 for "externes". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering externe vs externes

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 “externe” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list