Which to use
“égout” is a noun and “eut” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #18,915
- “égout” frequency rank
- #2,421
- “eut” frequency rank
- 21336
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | égout | eut |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Chute et écoulement des eaux qui viennent de quelque endroit. | Troisième personne du singulier du passé simple du verbe avoir. |
Where the eye mixes égout and eut
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence. égout runs 5 letters (VCVVC) against eut's 3 (VVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses égout with eut
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: égout is \e.ɡu\ while eut is \y\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 21336, 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\. eut is at rank #2,421, tagged as averb, pronounced \y\.
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 21336, this pair ranks #363,703 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of égout vs eut
Shared letters: tu. Private to "égout": goé. Private to "eut": e.
"égout" · 5 letters · shape VCVVC · "eut" · 3 letters · shape VVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "égout" for "eut" ever safe?
In ordinary French text, does "égout" or "eut" show up more?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "égout" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "eut" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #363,703 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "égout" and "eut" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "égout vs Egypt". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #363,703 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.