Since the Japanese terms for "Female-line Emperor" (女系天皇) and "Female Emperor" (女性天皇) are somewhat similar in wording, the meaning of "Female-line Emperor" is often confused with that of "Female Emperor;" given that the term "Female-line Emperor" is related to imperial bloodline while the term "Female Emperor" is related to gender, their concepts are quite different.
語句の類似から、単に女子の天皇を指す女性天皇と混同されることも多いが、天皇家の血筋についての「女系天皇」と、天皇個人の性別についての「女性天皇」とは異なる概念である。