Which to use
“empêcha” and “empoche” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #34,520
- “empêcha” frequency rank
- #43,408
- “empoche” frequency rank
- 77928
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | empêcha | empoche |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Troisième personne du singulier du passé simple de empêcher. | Première personne du singulier du présent de l’indicatif de empocher. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set empêcha and empoche apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. empêcha (\ɑ̃.pɛ.ʃa\) and empoche (\ɑ̃.pɔʃ\) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 77928, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
empêcha is recorded at frequency rank #34,520, classified as averb, pronounced \ɑ̃.pɛ.ʃa\. empoche is at rank #43,408, tagged as averb, pronounced \ɑ̃.pɔʃ\.
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 77928, this pair ranks #27,069 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of empêcha vs empoche
Shared letters: cehmp. Private to "empêcha": aê. Private to "empoche": o.
"empêcha" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCV · "empoche" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- empoche ← emmpoche · emopche · empcohe · empocche · empoceh · empochhe · empohce · emppoche
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "empêcha" and "empoche" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "empêcha" or "empoche"?
Remembering empêcha vs empoche
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 “empêcha” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable