eher

\ˈeːɐ\

/\ˈeːɐ\/ adv

The verdict

“eher” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adverb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
4
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Comparatif de bald. Plus tôt.

Corpus desk

Index FR-eher · eher · French

eher · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "E" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for eher
PropertyValue
Headwordeher
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdverb
IPA\ˈeːɐ\
Letters4
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Longue queue: rang de « eher » en français

ehersiège au-delà des 100.000 formes les plus fréquentes du français, dans la traîne du lexique spécialisé ou peu usité.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

eher is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anadverb, transcribed \ˈeːɐ\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for eher, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is eher, spelled E-H-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Comparatif de bald. Plus tôt.
  2. 2
    Plus facilement, plus probablement.
  3. 3
    Plutôt.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how eher appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Placebos, die schmerzhafte Nebenwirkungen haben, haben einen stärkeren Effekt als Placebos ohne spürbare Nebenwirkungen. (... Die Studie) konnte zeigen, dass Proband*innen eher an die Wirkung eines wirkstofffreien Nasensprays glauben, wenn bei der Einnahme leichte Schmerzreize entstehen.
  2. Warum Würzsaucen wie Worcestershire oder Tabasco ein eher gutes Ansehen haben und Maggi als altmodisch angesehen wird, kann ich nicht verstehen. Ich benutze Maggi für Salatsaucen, damit sie so schmecken wie von Oma oder auch mal in die Suppe wenn ich zu faul bin, Liebstöckel aus dem Garten zu holen.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "eher"?
"eher" is spelled E-H-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is \ˈeːɐ\.
What does "eher" mean?
As an adverb, "eher" means: Comparatif de bald. Plus tôt.
How do you pronounce "eher"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "eher" is \ˈeːɐ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "eher" come from?
"eher" 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list