Which to use
“épater” is a verb and “épave” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #38,616
- “épater” frequency rank
- #13,498
- “épave” frequency rank
- 52114
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | épater | épave |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Priver de l’usage d’une patte. | Qui est égaré et dont on ne connaît pas le propriétaire. S’utilise surtout pour les animaux d’élevage. |
Where the eye mixes épater and épave
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. épater runs 6 letters (VCVCVC) against épave's 5 (VCVCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses épater with épave
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: épater is \e.pa.te\ while épave is \e.pav\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 52114, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
épater is recorded at frequency rank #38,616, classified as averb, pronounced \e.pa.te\. épave is at rank #13,498, tagged as anadj, pronounced \e.pav\.
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 52114, this pair ranks #150,076 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of épater vs épave
Shared letters: aepé. Private to "épater": rt. Private to "épave": v.
"épater" · 6 letters · shape VCVCVC · "épave" · 5 letters · shape VCVCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "épater" for "épave" ever safe?
Which is more common, "épater" or "épave"?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "épater" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "épave" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #150,076 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "épater" and "épave" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "épater vs épier". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #150,076 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.