Which to use
“langage” and “langue” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,320
- “langage” frequency rank
- #629
- “langue” frequency rank
- 2949
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | langage | langue |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Emploi que l’être humain fait des sons et des articulations de la voix pour exprimer ses pensées et ses sentiments. | Organe musculaire charnu et mobile, situé à l’intérieur de la bouche, et permettant de percevoir le sens du goût et d’articuler certains sons. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set langage and langue apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. langage (\lɑ̃.ɡaʒ\) and langue (\lɑ̃ɡ\) 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 2949, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
langage is recorded at frequency rank #2,320, classified as anoun, pronounced \lɑ̃.ɡaʒ\. langue is at rank #629, tagged as anoun, pronounced \lɑ̃ɡ\.
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 2949, this pair ranks #435,131 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of langage vs langue
Shared letters: aegln. Private to "langage": -. Private to "langue": u.
"langage" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV · "langue" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "langage" and "langue" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "langage" or "langue"?
Remembering langage vs langue
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 “langage” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable