migrainevsmigrainesWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#19,600
“migraine” frequency rank
#26,436
“migraines” frequency rank
46036
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature migraine migraines
Definition Maladie chronique caractérisée par des céphalées localisées récurrentes (douleurs qui affectent une partie de la tête), associées à des nausées ou une exacerbation sensorielle entrainant une photophobie ou phonophobie (craintes de la lumière ou des sons). Pluriel de migraine.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set migraine and migraines apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
migraine
9 ch
migraines

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

migraine and migraines form a confusable pair in the French index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “migraine” sits inside “migraines” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 46036, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

migraine is recorded at frequency rank #19,600, classified as anoun, pronounced \mi.ɡʁɛn\. migraines is at rank #26,436, tagged as anoun, pronounced \mi.ɡʁɛn\.

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 46036, this pair ranks #198,126 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Frequency comparison

migraine#19,600
migraines#26,436

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "migraine" and "migraines" be used interchangeably?
No, "migraine" and "migraines" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering migraine vs migraines

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 “migraine” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list