Which to use
“pairs” is an adjective and “pères” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #9,209
- “pairs” frequency rank
- #5,596
- “pères” frequency rank
- 14805
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | pairs | pères |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Masculin pluriel de pair. | Pluriel de père. |
Same sound, different letters: pairs vs pères
Muted letters are shared; highlighted letters are the only spelling cue when pronunciation matches. Shared run: 3 letters. pairs (CVVCC) and pères (CVCVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Same sound, different spelling - pairs / pères
Say them out loud and nothing separates them: pairs and pères carry the same recorded pronunciation, \pɛʁ\. Grammar is what tells them apart: one is anadjective, the other anoun, so most sentences will only accept one of them. They share most of their letters but differ in 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 14805, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
pairs is recorded at frequency rank #9,209, classified as anadj, pronounced \pɛʁ\. pères is at rank #5,596, tagged as anoun, pronounced \pɛʁ\.
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 14805, this pair ranks #395,148 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of pairs vs pères
Shared letters: prs. Private to "pairs": ai. Private to "pères": eè.
"pairs" · 5 letters · shape CVVCC · "pères" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- pairs ← apirs · pairrs · pairss · paisr · piars · ppairs
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "pairs" and "pères" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary French text, does "pairs" or "pères" show up more?
Useful next steps
Sound matches; spelling doesn't. Use the exits below to lock the right form or check a cousin pair.
- Full dictionary entry for "pairs" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "pères" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #395,148 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "pairs" and "pères" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "pairs vs Pamiers". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #395,148 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.