Which to use
“mères” and “mètre” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #4,253
- “mères” frequency rank
- #6,113
- “mètre” frequency rank
- 10366
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | mères | mètre |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Pluriel de mère. | Unité de mesure de longueur du Système international, dont le symbole est m. Le mètre est défini de manière universelle depuis 1983 par la longueur du trajet parcouru par la lumière dans le vide en 1/299 792 458 de seconde. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set mères and mètre apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. mères (\mɛʁ\) and mètre (\mɛtʁ\) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 10366, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
mères is recorded at frequency rank #4,253, classified as anoun, pronounced \mɛʁ\. mètre is at rank #6,113, tagged as anoun, 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 10366, this pair ranks #413,248 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of mères vs mètre
Shared letters: emrè. Private to "mères": s. Private to "mètre": t.
"mères" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "mètre" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "mères" and "mètre" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "mères" or "mètre"?
Remembering mères vs mètre
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 “mères” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable