lequelvslesquelsWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#690
“lequel” frequency rank
#1,823
“lesquels” frequency rank
2513
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature lequel lesquels
Definition Pronom relatif qui remplace le nom et établit le lien avec la proposition relative qui suit. Masculin pluriel de lequel.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set lequel and lesquels apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
lequel
8 ch
lesquels

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. lequel (\lə.kɛl\) and lesquels (\le.kɛl\) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 2513, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

lequel is recorded at frequency rank #690, classified as apron, pronounced \lə.kɛl\. lesquels is at rank #1,823, tagged as apron, pronounced \le.kɛl\.

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 2513, this pair ranks #436,003 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of lequel vs lesquels

Shared letters: elqu. Private to "lequel": -. Private to "lesquels": s.

"lequel" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC  ·  "lesquels" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • lequelelquel · leqeul · leqquel · lequell · lequle · leuqel · llequel · lqeuel
  • lesquelselsquels · leqsuels · lesqeuls · lesqquels · lesquells · lesquelss · lesquesl · lesqules

Frequency comparison

lequel#690
lesquels#1,823

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "lequel" and "lesquels" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently (\lə.kɛl\ versus \le.kɛl\) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "lequel" or "lesquels"?
"lequel" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #690 in our French list, against #1,823 for "lesquels". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering lequel vs lesquels

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 “lequel” 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