Which to use
“épargner” is a verb and “épargnes” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #10,620
- “épargner” frequency rank
- #43,744
- “épargnes” frequency rank
- 54364
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | épargner | épargnes |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Ménager quelque chose, ne l’employer qu’avec réserve. | Pluriel de épargne. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set épargner and épargnes apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: épargner is \e.paʁ.ɲe\ while épargnes is \e.paʁɲ\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - r in “épargner” becomes s in “épargnes”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 54364, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
épargner is recorded at frequency rank #10,620, classified as averb, pronounced \e.paʁ.ɲe\. épargnes is at rank #43,744, tagged as anoun, pronounced \e.paʁɲ\.
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 54364, this pair ranks #134,553 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of épargner vs épargnes
Shared letters: aegnpré. Private to "épargner": -. Private to "épargnes": s.
"épargner" · 8 letters · shape VCVCCCVC · "épargnes" · 8 letters · shape VCVCCCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "épargner" and "épargnes" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "épargner" or "épargnes"?
Remembering épargner vs épargnes
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “épargner”; for a noun, it's “épargnes”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “épargner” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable