Which to use
“dérober” and “déroger” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #23,527
- “dérober” frequency rank
- #29,747
- “déroger” frequency rank
- 53274
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | dérober | déroger |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Enlever ou voler en cachette. | S’écarter, de quelque manière que ce soit, de ce qui est établi par une loi, un acte de l’autorité publique, une convention, des droits, un usage, etc. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set dérober and déroger apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. dérober (\de.ʁɔ.be\) and déroger (\de.ʁɔ.ʒe\) 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 a single letter - b in “dérober” becomes g in “déroger”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 53274, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
dérober is recorded at frequency rank #23,527, classified as averb, pronounced \de.ʁɔ.be\. déroger is at rank #29,747, tagged as averb, pronounced \de.ʁɔ.ʒe\.
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 53274, this pair ranks #141,894 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of dérober vs déroger
Shared letters: deoré. Private to "dérober": b. Private to "déroger": g.
"dérober" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC · "déroger" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "dérober" and "déroger" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "dérober" or "déroger"?
Remembering dérober vs déroger
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 “dérober” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable