Which to use
“éclate” and “éclater” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #7,390
- “éclate” frequency rank
- #7,772
- “éclater” frequency rank
- 15162
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | éclate | éclater |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Première personne du singulier du présent de l’indicatif de éclater. | Exploser; se rompre, se briser en projetant des fragments. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set éclate and éclater 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. éclate (\e.klat\) and éclater (\e.kla.te\) 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) - “éclate” sits inside “éclater”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 15162, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
éclate is recorded at frequency rank #7,390, classified as averb, pronounced \e.klat\. éclater is at rank #7,772, tagged as averb, pronounced \e.kla.te\.
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 15162, this pair ranks #393,582 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of éclate vs éclater
Shared letters: acelté. Private to "éclate": -. Private to "éclater": r.
"éclate" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCV · "éclater" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "éclate" and "éclater" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "éclate" or "éclater"?
Remembering éclate vs éclater
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 “éclate” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable