efface

\e.fas\

/\e.fas\/ noun

The verdict

“efface” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #10,492 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#10,492
frequency rank, French
6
letters
6
tracked misspellings
12
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Petit cube de caoutchouc qui sert à effacer ce qui a été écrit avec un crayon de plomb.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

efface vs espace
67% similar
efface vs effect
67% similar
efface vs enfance
71% similar

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

Key facts for efface
PropertyValue
Headwordefface
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\e.fas\
Letters6
Frequency rank#10,492
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs12
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “efface” 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). efface lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The French entry for efface is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \e.fas\. Corpus data places it at rank #10,492 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Petit cube de caoutchouc qui sert à effacer ce qui a été écrit avec un crayon de plomb.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for efface, with forms such as "eface", "efafce", and "effacce". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 12 confusable-pair relationships, "espace", "effect", "enfance", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct French form is efface, spelled E-F-F-A-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Petit cube de caoutchouc qui sert à effacer ce qui a été écrit avec un crayon de plomb.

Synonyms

gommegomme à effacer

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: eface,efafce,effacce,effaec,effcae,feface

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eface1efafce2effacce1effaec2effcae2feface2
Edit distance from "efface"

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 "efface"?
"efface" is spelled E-F-F-A-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is \e.fas\.
What does "efface" mean?
As a noun, "efface" means: Petit cube de caoutchouc qui sert à effacer ce qui a été écrit avec un crayon de plomb.
What words are commonly confused with "efface"?
"efface" is commonly confused with "espace", "effect", "enfance". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "efface"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "efface" is \e.fas\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "efface" come from?
"efface" is a French word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “efface”

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

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