Which to use
“semaine” and “semaines” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #321
- “semaine” frequency rank
- #651
- “semaines” frequency rank
- 972
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | semaine | semaines |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Séquence constituée des sept jours : lundi, mardi, mercredi, jeudi, vendredi, samedi et dimanche. Chaque date a un seul jour de la semaine dans cet ordre, mais le commencement de la semaine dépend de la tradition locale. | Pluriel de semaine. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set semaine and semaines apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
This is the hard kind. semaine and semaines are pronounced identically (\sə.mɛn\) 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) - “semaine” sits inside “semaines”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 972, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
semaine is recorded at frequency rank #321, classified as anoun, pronounced \sə.mɛn\. semaines is at rank #651, tagged as anoun, pronounced \sə.mɛn\.
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 972, this pair ranks #438,827 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of semaine vs semaines
Shared letters: aeimns. Private to "semaine": -. Private to "semaines": -.
"semaine" · 7 letters · shape CVCVVCV · "semaines" · 8 letters · shape CVCVVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "semaine" and "semaines" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "semaine" or "semaines"?
Remembering semaine vs semaines
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 “semaine” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable