Which to use
“épargne” is a noun and “épargner” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #4,636
- “épargne” frequency rank
- #10,620
- “épargner” frequency rank
- 15256
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | épargne | épargner |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Économie dans la dépense. | Ménager quelque chose, ne l’employer qu’avec réserve. |
Where the eye mixes épargne and épargner
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. épargne runs 7 letters (VCVCCCV) against épargner's 8 (VCVCCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between épargne and épargner
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: épargne is \e.paʁɲ\ while épargner is \e.paʁ.ɲe\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “épargne” sits inside “épargner”, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 15256, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
épargne is recorded at frequency rank #4,636, classified as anoun, pronounced \e.paʁɲ\. épargner is at rank #10,620, tagged as averb, pronounced \e.paʁ.ɲe\.
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 15256, this pair ranks #393,146 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of épargne vs épargner
Shared letters: aegnpré. Private to "épargne": -. Private to "épargner": -.
"épargne" · 7 letters · shape VCVCCCV · "épargner" · 8 letters · shape VCVCCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "épargne" for "épargner" ever safe?
Frequency check: "épargne" vs "épargner" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "épargne" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "épargner" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #393,146 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "épargne" and "épargner" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "épargner vs épargnez". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #393,146 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.