Which to use
“simples” and “singles” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,596
- “simples” frequency rank
- #26,873
- “singles” frequency rank
- 29469
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | simples | singles |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Plantes condimentaires et médicinales telles que la lavande, le romarin, la sauge, le thym, la camomille, l’armoise, l’hysope, etc. | Pluriel de single. |
Where the eye mixes simples and singles
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses simples with singles
A purely visual mix-up. simples (\sɛ̃pl\) and singles (\siŋ.ɡœl\) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 29469, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
simples is recorded at frequency rank #2,596, classified as anoun, pronounced \sɛ̃pl\. singles is at rank #26,873, tagged as anoun, pronounced \siŋ.ɡœl\.
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 29469, this pair ranks #316,475 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of simples vs singles
Shared letters: eils. Private to "simples": mp. Private to "singles": gn.
"simples" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC · "singles" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "simples" and "singles" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "simples" vs "singles" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "simples" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "singles" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #316,475 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "simples" and "singles" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "sigles vs singles". 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 #316,475 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.