Which to use
“épaule” is a noun and “épauler” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #4,542
- “épaule” frequency rank
- #33,088
- “épauler” frequency rank
- 37630
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | épaule | épauler |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Partie du corps qui attache au cou l’articulation du bras chez l’être humain et du membre antérieur chez les quadrupèdes ; articulation qui relie l'arrière-bras au tronc. | Blesser à l’épaule. |
Where the eye mixes épaule and épauler
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. épaule runs 6 letters (VCVVCV) against épauler's 7 (VCVVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between épaule and épauler
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: épaule is \e.pol\ while épauler is \e.po.le\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “épaule” sits inside “épauler”, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 37630, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
épaule is recorded at frequency rank #4,542, classified as anoun, pronounced \e.pol\. épauler is at rank #33,088, tagged as averb, pronounced \e.po.le\.
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 37630, this pair ranks #261,135 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of épaule vs épauler
Shared letters: aelpué. Private to "épaule": -. Private to "épauler": r.
"épaule" · 6 letters · shape VCVVCV · "épauler" · 7 letters · shape VCVVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "épaule" and "épauler" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "épaule" vs "épauler" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "épaule" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "épauler" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #261,135 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "épaule" and "épauler" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "épauler vs exaucer". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #261,135 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.