égoutvségoutsWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#18,915
“égout” frequency rank
#16,786
“égouts” frequency rank
35701
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature égout égouts
Definition Chute et écoulement des eaux qui viennent de quelque endroit. Pluriel de égout.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set égout and égouts apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
égout
6 ch
égouts

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

This is the hard kind. égout and égouts are pronounced identically (\e.ɡu\) and both work as anoun. Neither the ear nor the grammar will rescue you; only the meaning does, so the glosses below are the whole decision. They differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “égout” sits inside “égouts”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 35701, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

égout is recorded at frequency rank #18,915, classified as anoun, pronounced \e.ɡu\. égouts is at rank #16,786, tagged as anoun, pronounced \e.ɡu\.

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 35701, this pair ranks #274,853 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of égout vs égouts

Shared letters: gotué. Private to "égout": -. Private to "égouts": s.

"égout" · 5 letters · shape VCVVC  ·  "égouts" · 6 letters · shape VCVVCC

Frequency comparison

égout#18,915
égouts#16,786

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "égout" and "égouts" be used interchangeably?
No. They are pronounced the same (\e.ɡu\), which is exactly why they get swapped in writing, but the dictionary meanings above are different, and pronunciation is no guide here.
Which is more common, "égout" or "égouts"?
"égouts" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #16,786 in our French list, against #18,915 for "égout". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering égout vs égouts

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 “égout” 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