débloquevsdébloquerWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“débloque” and “débloquer” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#27,781
“débloque” frequency rank
#12,769
“débloquer” frequency rank
40550
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature débloque débloquer
Definition Première personne du singulier de l’indicatif présent de débloquer. Délivrer du blocus.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set débloque and débloquer apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
débloque
9 ch
débloquer

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. débloque (\de.blɔk\) and débloquer (\de.blɔ.ke\) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “débloque” sits inside “débloquer”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 40550, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

débloque is recorded at frequency rank #27,781, classified as averb, pronounced \de.blɔk\. débloquer is at rank #12,769, tagged as averb, pronounced \de.blɔ.ke\.

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 40550, this pair ranks #239,664 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of débloque vs débloquer

Shared letters: bdeloqué. Private to "débloque": -. Private to "débloquer": r.

"débloque" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVV  ·  "débloquer" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCVVC

Frequency comparison

débloque#27,781
débloquer#12,769

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "débloque" and "débloquer" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently (\de.blɔk\ versus \de.blɔ.ke\) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "débloque" or "débloquer"?
"débloquer" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #12,769 in our French list, against #27,781 for "débloque". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering débloque vs débloquer

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 “débloque” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

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

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