pèlerinsvspleinsWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#13,453
“pèlerins” frequency rank
#3,632
“pleins” frequency rank
17085
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature pèlerins pleins
Definition Masculin pluriel de pèlerin. Masculin pluriel de plein.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set pèlerins and pleins apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
pèlerins
6 ch
pleins

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. pèlerins (\pɛl.ʁɛ̃\) and pleins (\plɛ̃\) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 17085, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

pèlerins is recorded at frequency rank #13,453, classified as anadj, pronounced \pɛl.ʁɛ̃\. pleins is at rank #3,632, tagged as anadj, pronounced \plɛ̃\.

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 17085, this pair ranks #384,879 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of pèlerins vs pleins

Shared letters: eilnps. Private to "pèlerins": . Private to "pleins": -.

"pèlerins" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCVCC  ·  "pleins" · 6 letters · shape CCVVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • pleinslpeins · pelins · pleinns · pleinss · pleisn · plenis · pliens · plleins

Frequency comparison

pèlerins#13,453
pleins#3,632

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "pèlerins" and "pleins" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently (\pɛl.ʁɛ̃\ versus \plɛ̃\) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "pèlerins" or "pleins"?
"pleins" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,632 in our French list, against #13,453 for "pèlerins". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering pèlerins vs pleins

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 “pèlerins” 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