Which to use
“brûlait” and “brûlent” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #32,716
- “brûlait” frequency rank
- #18,140
- “brûlent” frequency rank
- 50856
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | brûlait | brûlent |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Troisième personne du singulier de l’indicatif imparfait du verbe brûler. | Troisième personne du pluriel de l’indicatif présent du verbe brûler. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set brûlait and brûlent apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. brûlait (\bʁy.lɛ\) and brûlent (\bʁyl\) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 50856, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
brûlait is recorded at frequency rank #32,716, classified as averb, pronounced \bʁy.lɛ\. brûlent is at rank #18,140, tagged as averb, pronounced \bʁyl\.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 50856, this pair ranks #159,408 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of brûlait vs brûlent
Shared letters: blrtû. Private to "brûlait": ai. Private to "brûlent": en.
"brûlait" · 7 letters · shape CCVCVVC · "brûlent" · 7 letters · shape CCVCVCC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "brûlait" and "brûlent" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "brûlait" or "brûlent"?
Remembering brûlait vs brûlent
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “brûlait” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable