épaissesvsépuiséesWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#21,516
“épaisses” frequency rank
#36,675
“épuisées” frequency rank
58191
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature épaisses épuisées
Definition Féminin pluriel de épais. Féminin pluriel de épuisé.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set épaisses and épuisées apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
épaisses
8 ch
épuisées

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. épaisses (\e.pɛs\) and épuisées (\e.pɥi.ze\) 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 58191, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

épaisses is recorded at frequency rank #21,516, classified as anadj, pronounced \e.pɛs\. épuisées is at rank #36,675, tagged as anadj, pronounced \e.pɥi.ze\.

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 58191, this pair ranks #110,503 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of épaisses vs épuisées

Shared letters: eipsé. Private to "épaisses": a. Private to "épuisées": u.

"épaisses" · 8 letters · shape VCVVCCVC  ·  "épuisées" · 8 letters · shape VCVVCVVC

Frequency comparison

épaisses#21,516
épuisées#36,675

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "épaisses" and "épuisées" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently (\e.pɛs\ versus \e.pɥi.ze\) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "épaisses" or "épuisées"?
"épaisses" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #21,516 in our French list, against #36,675 for "épuisées". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering épaisses vs épuisées

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 “épaisses” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list