Which to use
“éparses” is an adjective and “épaules” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #38,116
- “éparses” frequency rank
- #5,206
- “épaules” frequency rank
- 43322
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | éparses | épaules |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Féminin pluriel de épars. | Pluriel de épaule. |
Where the eye mixes éparses and épaules
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. éparses (VCVCCVC) and épaules (VCVVCVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses éparses with épaules
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: éparses is \e.paʁs\ while épaules is \e.pol\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 43322, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
éparses is recorded at frequency rank #38,116, classified as anadj, pronounced \e.paʁs\. épaules is at rank #5,206, tagged as anoun, pronounced \e.pol\.
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 43322, this pair ranks #218,955 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of éparses vs épaules
Shared letters: aepsé. Private to "éparses": r. Private to "épaules": lu.
"éparses" · 7 letters · shape VCVCCVC · "épaules" · 7 letters · shape VCVVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "éparses" for "épaules" ever safe?
Which is more common, "éparses" or "épaules"?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "éparses" and "épaules" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "éparses" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "épaules" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #218,955 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "éparses" and "épaules" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "épargnes vs éparses". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #218,955 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.