échapper

\e.ʃa.pe\

/\e.ʃa.pe\/ verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“échapper” has 11 generated spelling variants in the French index at frequency #2,975. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,975
frequency rank, French
40,273
“É” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Se sauver des mains de quelqu’un, d’une prison, de quelque péril, etc.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

échapper vs écharpe
75% similar
échapper vs échoppe
75% similar
échapper vs écharpes
75% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for échapper
PropertyValue
Headwordéchapper
LanguageFrench
Part of speechVerb
IPA\e.ʃa.pe\
Letters8
Frequency rank#2,975
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “échapper” sits in French frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). échapper lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around échapper (IPA \e.ʃa.pe\), averb. Corpus frequency is #2,975 among 40,273 “É” headwords. Wiktionary lists 16 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for échapper, with forms such as "céhapper", "echapper", and "écahpper". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 11 confusable-pair relationships, "écharpe", "échoppe", "écharpes", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is échapper, spelled É-C-H-A-P-P-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Se sauver des mains de quelqu’un, d’une prison, de quelque péril, etc.
  2. 2
    Ne pas saisir ; laisser sortir.
  3. 3
    Ne pas saisir ; laisser sortir.
  4. 4
    Cesser, par la force ou par la fuite, par un mouvement violent ou adroit, d’être où l’on était, où l’on était retenu.
  5. 5
    Se soustraire ou se dérober par la fuite à ; être préservé de.
  6. 6
    N’être pas saisi, aperçu, découvert, ou seulement remarqué.
  7. 7
    Ne pas saisir ; laisser sortir.
  8. 8
    Se faire par imprudence, par indiscrétion, par mégarde, par négligence, etc.
  9. 9
    Éviter.
  10. 10
    Se dit encore des choses dont on est frustré, ou que l’on ne saurait conserver, fixer, qui se perdent, s’évanouissent, se dissipent, s'oublient.
  11. 11
    Lâcher involontairement, maladroitement, laisser tomber.
  12. 12
    Faire perdre la propriété de caractère syntaxique spécial par rapport à une chaîne de caractères, c’est-à-dire transformer en caractère commun en préfixant par un caractère d’échappement (habituellement la barre oblique inverse, convention venant d’UNIX).
  13. 13
    Prendre la fuite ; se sauver ; s’évader.
  14. 14
    En parlant d’une chose, sortir d’un lieu, d’un endroit, d’une autre chose où elle était retenue, enfermée ou contenue.
  15. 15
    Distancer les autres compétiteurs dans une course sportive.
  16. 16
    S’emporter inconsidérément à dire ou à faire quelque chose contre la raison ou la bienséance.

Synonyms

laisser tomber

This word in other languages

escape(English)escapar(Español)entkommen(Deutsch)escapar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • céhapper
  • echapper
  • écahpper
  • écchapper
  • échapepr
  • échaper
  • échapperr
  • échappre
  • échhapper
  • échpaper
  • éhcapper

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of échapper - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

céhapper2echapper1écahpper2écchapper1échapepr2échaper1échapperr1échappre2
Edit distance from "échapper"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "échapper"?
"échapper" is spelled É-C-H-A-P-P-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is \e.ʃa.pe\.
What does "échapper" mean?
As a verb, "échapper" means: Se sauver des mains de quelqu’un, d’une prison, de quelque péril, etc.
What words are commonly confused with "échapper"?
"échapper" is commonly confused with "écharpe", "échoppe", "écharpes". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "échapper"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "échapper" is \e.ʃa.pe\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "échapper" come from?
"échapper" is a French word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “échapper”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct French spelling is É-C-H-A-P-P-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \e.ʃa.pe\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “écharpe” - see the side-by-side comparison. échapper vs écharpe
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words

Same frequency band

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list