embrasevsembrasserWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#44,444
“embrase” frequency rank
#5,753
“embrasser” frequency rank
50197
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature embrase embrasser
Definition Première personne du singulier du présent de l’indicatif de embraser. Serrer, étreindre avec les deux bras.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set embrase and embrasser apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
embrase
9 ch
embrasser

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. embrase (\ɑ̃.bʁaz\) 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 50197, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

embrase is recorded at frequency rank #44,444, classified as averb, pronounced \ɑ̃.bʁaz\. 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 50197, this pair ranks #164,537 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of embrase vs embrasser

Shared letters: abemrs. Private to "embrase": -. Private to "embrasser": -.

"embrase" · 7 letters · shape VCCCVCV  ·  "embrasser" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • embraseebmrase · embarse · embbrase · embraes · embrrase · embrsae · emmbrase · emrbase
  • embrasserebmrasser · embarsser · embbrasser · embraser · embrasesr · embrasserr · embrassre · embrrasser

Frequency comparison

embrase#44,444
embrasser#5,753

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "embrase" and "embrasser" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently (\ɑ̃.bʁaz\ versus \ɑ̃.bʁa.se\) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "embrase" or "embrasser"?
"embrasser" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #5,753 in our French list, against #44,444 for "embrase". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering embrase vs embrasser

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 “embrase” 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