Which to use
“épauler” and “épouser” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #33,088
- “épauler” frequency rank
- #6,916
- “épouser” frequency rank
- 40004
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | épauler | épouser |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Blesser à l’épaule. | Prendre en mariage. |
Where the eye mixes épauler and épouser
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. épauler and épouser follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (VCVVCVC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.
Visual trap between épauler and épouser
A purely visual mix-up. épauler (\e.po.le\) and épouser (\e.pu.ze\) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 40004, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
épauler is recorded at frequency rank #33,088, classified as averb, pronounced \e.po.le\. épouser is at rank #6,916, tagged as averb, pronounced \e.pu.ze\.
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 40004, this pair ranks #243,737 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of épauler vs épouser
Shared letters: eprué. Private to "épauler": al. Private to "épouser": os.
"épauler" · 7 letters · shape VCVVCVC · "épouser" · 7 letters · shape VCVVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "épauler" for "épouser" ever safe?
Frequency check: "épauler" vs "épouser" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "épauler" and "épouser" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "épauler" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "épouser" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #243,737 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "épauler" and "épouser" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "épauler vs exaucer". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #243,737 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.