métalliquevsmétalliquesWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#7,603
“métallique” frequency rank
#10,036
“métalliques” frequency rank
17639
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature métallique métalliques
Definition Qui est de métal, qui concerne le métal. Pluriel de métallique.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set métallique and métalliques apart are highlighted. They share 10 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

10 ch
métallique
11 ch
métalliques

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

This is the hard kind. métallique and métalliques are pronounced identically (\me.ta.lik\) and both work as anadjective. Neither the ear nor the grammar will rescue you; only the meaning does, so the glosses below are the whole decision. They differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “métallique” sits inside “métalliques”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 17639, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

métallique is recorded at frequency rank #7,603, classified as anadj, pronounced \me.ta.lik\. métalliques is at rank #10,036, tagged as anadj, pronounced \me.ta.lik\.

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 17639, this pair ranks #382,208 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of métallique vs métalliques

Shared letters: aeilmqtué. Private to "métallique": -. Private to "métalliques": s.

"métallique" · 10 letters · shape CVCVCCVCVV  ·  "métalliques" · 11 letters · shape CVCVCCVCVVC

Frequency comparison

métallique#7,603
métalliques#10,036

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "métallique" and "métalliques" be used interchangeably?
No. They are pronounced the same (\me.ta.lik\), which is exactly why they get swapped in writing, but the dictionary meanings above are different, and pronunciation is no guide here.
Which is more common, "métallique" or "métalliques"?
"métallique" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #7,603 in our French list, against #10,036 for "métalliques". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering métallique vs métalliques

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 “métallique” 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