Which to use
“restriction” and “restrictions” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #11,474
- “restriction” frequency rank
- #8,456
- “restrictions” frequency rank
- 19930
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | restriction | restrictions |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Condition qui restreint, modification. | Pluriel de restriction. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set restriction and restrictions apart are highlighted. They share 11 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
This is the hard kind. restriction and restrictions are pronounced identically (\ʁɛs.tʁik.sjɔ̃\) and both work as anoun. Neither the ear nor the grammar will rescue you; only the meaning does, so the glosses below are the whole decision. They differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “restriction” sits inside “restrictions”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 19930, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
restriction is recorded at frequency rank #11,474, classified as anoun, pronounced \ʁɛs.tʁik.sjɔ̃\. restrictions is at rank #8,456, 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 19930, this pair ranks #370,799 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of restriction vs restrictions
Shared letters: ceinorst. Private to "restriction": -. Private to "restrictions": -.
"restriction" · 11 letters · shape CVCCCVCCVVC · "restrictions" · 12 letters · shape CVCCCVCCVVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- restriction ← erstriction · resrtiction · resstriction · restirction · restrcition · restricction · restriciton · restrictino
- restrictions ← erstrictions · resrtictions · resstrictions · restirctions · restrcitions · restricctions · restricitons · restrictinos
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "restriction" and "restrictions" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "restriction" or "restrictions"?
Remembering restriction vs restrictions
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 “restriction” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable