Which to use
“égales” is an adjective and “épaules” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #10,808
- “égales” frequency rank
- #5,206
- “épaules” frequency rank
- 16014
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | égales | épaules |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Féminin pluriel de égal. | Pluriel de épaule. |
Where the eye mixes égales and épaules
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. égales runs 6 letters (VCVCVC) against épaules's 7 (VCVVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: égales vs épaules
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: égales is \e.ɡal\ while épaules is \e.pol\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 16014, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
égales is recorded at frequency rank #10,808, classified as anadj, pronounced \e.ɡal\. épaules is at rank #5,206, tagged as anoun, pronounced \e.pol\.
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 16014, this pair ranks #389,787 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of égales vs épaules
Shared letters: aelsé. Private to "égales": g. Private to "épaules": pu.
"égales" · 6 letters · shape VCVCVC · "épaules" · 7 letters · shape VCVVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "égales" for "épaules" ever safe?
Frequency check: "égales" vs "épaules" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "égales" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "épaules" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #389,787 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "égales" and "épaules" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "édiles vs égales". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #389,787 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.