séparer

Name: séparer, French Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

\se.pa.ʁe\

/\se.pa.ʁe\/ verb

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“séparer” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #4,811 in French word frequency and used as a verb.

#4,811
frequency rank, French: 7
letters: 11
tracked misspellings: 8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Désunir des parties d’un même tout qui étaient jointes.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

séparer vs serrer

57% similar

séparer vs séparés

71% similar

séparer vs séparera

88% similar

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

Key facts for séparer
Property	Value
Headword	séparer
Language	French
Part of speech	Verb
IPA	\se.pa.ʁe\
Letters	7
Frequency rank	#4,811
Misspellings tracked	11
Confusable pairs	8
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “séparer” 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). séparer lands here:

#4,811

#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 séparer is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \se.pa.ʁe\. Corpus data places it at rank #4,811 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 17 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for séparer, with forms such as "separer", "spéarer", and "sséparer". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 8 confusable-pair relationships, "serrer", "séparés", "séparera", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

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 séparer, spelled S-É-P-A-R-E-R.

Definition

1
Désunir des parties d’un même tout qui étaient jointes.
2
Faire que des personnes, des animaux, des choses ne soient plus ensemble.
3
Éloigner, faire cesser le combat.
4
Dissoudre une union, une communauté.
5
Trier ce qui était mêlé ou confondu.
6
Partager ; diviser.
7
Empêcher la réunion, l’unicité.
8
Marquer la frontière.
9
Marquer la distance dans l’espace et dans le temps.
10
Faire cesser les communications, en parlant d’une armée.
11
Considérer, mettre à part.
12
Rendre distinct.
13
Se quitter.
14
Cesser de rester assemblée, ou de tenir ses séances, par quelque cause que ce soit.
15
Devenir plusieurs parties.
16
Dissoudre l’union charnelle ou économique formée avec une autre personne.
17
En termes de Chasse,

Synonyms

diviser partitionner désassembler

Antonyms

réunir joindre

This word in other languages

divide(English)separar(Español)absondern(Deutsch)apartar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: separer,spéarer,sséparer,séaprer,sépaerr,séparerr,séparre,séparrer,sépparer,sépraer,ésparer

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

Edit distance from "séparer"

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 "séparer"?

"séparer" is spelled S-É-P-A-R-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is \se.pa.ʁe\.

What does "séparer" mean?

As a verb, "séparer" means: Désunir des parties d’un même tout qui étaient jointes.

What words are commonly confused with "séparer"?

"séparer" is commonly confused with "serrer", "séparés", "séparera". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "séparer"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "séparer" is \se.pa.ʁe\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.

What language does "séparer" come from?

"séparer" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.

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 “séparer”

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

The one correct French spelling is S-É-P-A-R-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as \se.pa.ʁe\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “serrer” - see the side-by-side comparison. séparer vs serrer
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.