Which to use
“maîtres” is an adjective and “mettre” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #4,083
- “maîtres” frequency rank
- #227
- “mettre” frequency rank
- 4310
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | maîtres | mettre |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Masculin pluriel de maître. | Placer une personne, ou un animal, ou une chose dans un lieu déterminé. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set maîtres and mettre apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Say them out loud and nothing separates them: maîtres and mettre carry the same recorded pronunciation, \mɛtʁ\. Grammar is what tells them apart: one is anadjective, the other averb, so most sentences will only accept one of them. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 4310, 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\. mettre is at rank #227, tagged as averb, pronounced \mɛtʁ\.
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 4310, this pair ranks #431,933 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of maîtres vs mettre
Shared letters: emrt. Private to "maîtres": asî. Private to "mettre": -.
"maîtres" · 7 letters · shape CVVCCVC · "mettre" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- mettre ← emttre · metre · metrte · metter · mettrre · mmettre · mtetre
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "maîtres" and "mettre" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "maîtres" or "mettre"?
Remembering maîtres vs mettre
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “maîtres”; for a verb, it's “mettre”.
- 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