Which to use
“embarrasser” and “embrasser” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #33,669
- “embarrasser” frequency rank
- #5,753
- “embrasser” frequency rank
- 39422
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | embarrasser | embrasser |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Arrêter, gêner par un obstacle. | Serrer, étreindre avec les deux bras. |
Where the eye mixes embarrasser and embrasser
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 9 letters in sequence. embarrasser runs 11 letters (VCCVCCVCCVC) against embrasser's 9 (VCCCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses embarrasser with embrasser
A purely visual mix-up. embarrasser (\ɑ̃.ba.ʁa.se\) and embrasser (\ɑ̃.bʁa.se\) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 39422, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
embarrasser is recorded at frequency rank #33,669, classified as averb, pronounced \ɑ̃.ba.ʁa.se\. embrasser is at rank #5,753, tagged as averb, pronounced \ɑ̃.bʁa.se\.
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 39422, this pair ranks #248,079 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of embarrasser vs embrasser
Shared letters: abemrs. Private to "embarrasser": -. Private to "embrasser": -.
"embarrasser" · 11 letters · shape VCCVCCVCCVC · "embrasser" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- embarrasser ← ebmarrasser · emabrrasser · embararsser · embarasser · embarraser · embarrasesr · embarrasserr · embarrassre
- embrasser ← ebmrasser · embarsser · embbrasser · embraser · embrasesr · embrasserr · embrassre · embrrasser
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "embarrasser" and "embrasser" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "embarrasser" vs "embrasser" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "embarrasser" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "embrasser" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #248,079 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "embarrasser" and "embrasser" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "embarrassée vs embarrasser". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #248,079 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.