vingtvsvinsWhat's the difference?

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

Which to use

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

#1,281
“vingt” frequency rank
#3,370
“vins” frequency rank
4651
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature vingt vins
Definition Dix-neuf plus un, soit deux fois dix, adjectif numéral cardinal correspondant au nombre 20. Pluriel de vin.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set vingt and vins apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
vingt
4 ch
vins

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

vingt and vins 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 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 4651, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

vingt is recorded at frequency rank #1,281, classified as anadj, pronounced \vɛ̃\. vins is at rank #3,370, tagged as anoun, pronounced \vɛ̃\.

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 4651, this pair ranks #431,048 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

vingt#1,281
vins#3,370

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "vingt" and "vins" be used interchangeably?
No, "vingt" and "vins" 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 vingt vs vins

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

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