Which to use
“lègue” is a verb and “ligne” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #32,472
- “lègue” frequency rank
- #328
- “ligne” frequency rank
- 32800
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lègue | ligne |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Première personne du singulier du présent de l’indicatif de léguer. | Trait simple, considéré comme n’ayant ni largeur ni profondeur. — Note d’usage : Il s’emploie surtout dans les sciences mathématiques. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set lègue and ligne apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: lègue is \lɛɡ\ while ligne is \liɲ\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 32800, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lègue is recorded at frequency rank #32,472, classified as averb, pronounced \lɛɡ\. ligne is at rank #328, tagged as anoun, pronounced \liɲ\.
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 32800, this pair ranks #294,875 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of lègue vs ligne
Shared letters: egl. Private to "lègue": uè. Private to "ligne": in.
"lègue" · 5 letters · shape CVCVV · "ligne" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- ligne ← ilgne · lgine · ligen · liggne · lignne · lligne
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "lègue" and "ligne" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "lègue" or "ligne"?
Remembering lègue vs ligne
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “lègue”; for a noun, it's “ligne”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “lègue” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable