Which to use
“maîtres” is an adjective and “maîtresse” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #4,083
- “maîtres” frequency rank
- #5,367
- “maîtresse” frequency rank
- 9450
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | maîtres | maîtresse |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Masculin pluriel de maître. | Celle qui a un pouvoir de domination sur les êtres ou les choses. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set maîtres and maîtresse apart are highlighted. They share 7 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: maîtres is \mɛtʁ\ while maîtresse is \mɛ.tʁɛs\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “maîtres” sits inside “maîtresse”, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 9450, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
maîtres is recorded at frequency rank #4,083, classified as anadj, pronounced \mɛtʁ\. maîtresse is at rank #5,367, tagged as anoun, pronounced \mɛ.tʁɛs\.
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 9450, this pair ranks #416,596 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of maîtres vs maîtresse
Shared letters: aemrstî. Private to "maîtres": -. Private to "maîtresse": -.
"maîtres" · 7 letters · shape CVVCCVC · "maîtresse" · 9 letters · shape CVVCCVCCV
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "maîtres" and "maîtresse" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "maîtres" or "maîtresse"?
Remembering maîtres vs maîtresse
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “maîtres”; for a noun, it's “maîtresse”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “maîtres” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable