templevstemplesWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“temple” and “temples” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#3,045
“temple” frequency rank
#10,597
“temples” frequency rank
13642
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature temple temples
Definition Édifice public consacré au culte de la divinité. Pluriel de temple.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set temple and temples apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
temple
7 ch
temples

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

temple and temples form a confusable pair in the French index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “temple” sits inside “temples” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 13642, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

temple is recorded at frequency rank #3,045, classified as anoun, pronounced \tɑ̃pl\. temples is at rank #10,597, tagged as anoun, pronounced \tɑ̃pl\.

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 13642, this pair ranks #400,164 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

temple#3,045
temples#10,597

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "temple" and "temples" be used interchangeably?
No, "temple" and "temples" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering temple vs temples

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 “temple” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list