restrictifvsrestrictionWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: restrictif is a adjective, restriction is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“restrictif” is an adjective and “restriction” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#39,504
“restrictif” frequency rank
#11,474
“restriction” frequency rank
50978
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature restrictif restriction
Definition Qui restreint, qui limite. Condition qui restreint, modification.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set restrictif and restriction apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

10 ch
restrictif
11 ch
restriction

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: restrictif is \ʁɛs.tʁik.tif\ while restriction is \ʁɛs.tʁik.sjɔ̃\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 50978, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

restrictif is recorded at frequency rank #39,504, classified as anadj, pronounced \ʁɛs.tʁik.tif\. restriction is at rank #11,474, tagged as anoun, pronounced \ʁɛs.tʁik.sjɔ̃\.

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 50978, this pair ranks #158,503 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of restrictif vs restriction

Shared letters: ceirst. Private to "restrictif": f. Private to "restriction": no.

"restrictif" · 10 letters · shape CVCCCVCCVC  ·  "restriction" · 11 letters · shape CVCCCVCCVVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • restrictiferstrictif · resrtictif · resstrictif · restirctif · restrcitif · restricctif · restricitf · restrictfi
  • restrictionerstriction · resrtiction · resstriction · restirction · restrcition · restricction · restriciton · restrictino

Frequency comparison

restrictif#39,504
restriction#11,474

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "restrictif" and "restriction" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "restrictif" is an adjective and "restriction" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "restrictif" or "restriction"?
"restriction" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #11,474 in our French list, against #39,504 for "restrictif". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering restrictif vs restriction

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “restrictif”; for a noun, it's “restriction”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “restrictif” 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