1. Ladder: This is the most common meaning. It refers to a structure consisting of a series of steps or rungs mounted on two vertical supports, used for climbing up or down.
2. Scale: This meaning refers to a system of ordered values, such as a scale of measurement, a musical scale, or a scale of hardness.
Here are some examples of how échelle is used in French:
* J'ai monté à l'échelle pour atteindre la branche la plus haute. (I climbed the ladder to reach the highest branch.)
* L'échelle de Richter mesure l'intensité des tremblements de terre. (The Richter scale measures the intensity of earthquakes.)
* L'échelle chromatique est une suite de douze demi-tons. (The chromatic scale is a sequence of twelve semitones.)
The specific meaning of échelle will be clear from the context in which it is used.