Which to use
“probable” and “probables” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #3,162
- “probable” frequency rank
- #21,120
- “probables” frequency rank
- 24282
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | probable | probables |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Qui a une apparence de vérité, qui paraît fondé en raison. | Pluriel de probable. |
Where the eye mixes probable and probables
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: probable vs probables
A purely visual mix-up. probable (\pʁɔ.ba.bl(ə)\) and probables (\pʁɔ.babl\) 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 1 extra letter(s) - “probable” sits inside “probables”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 24282, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
probable is recorded at frequency rank #3,162, classified as anadj, pronounced \pʁɔ.ba.bl(ə)\. probables is at rank #21,120, tagged as anadj, pronounced \pʁɔ.babl\.
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 24282, this pair ranks #347,491 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of probable vs probables
Shared letters: abelopr. Private to "probable": -. Private to "probables": s.
"probable" · 8 letters · shape CCVCVCCV · "probables" · 9 letters · shape CCVCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "probable" for "probables" ever safe?
Which is more common, "probable" or "probables"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "probable" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "probables" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #347,491 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "probable" and "probables" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "probable vs probante". 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 #347,491 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.