Which to use
“épingle” is a noun and “épingler” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #14,831
- “épingle” frequency rank
- #34,370
- “épingler” frequency rank
- 49201
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | épingle | épingler |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Petite tige de métal (laiton, cuivre, fer, acier, etc.) terminée par une pointe à un bout et, de l’autre, par une tête → voir tête d’épingle. | Attacher avec une épingle. |
Where the eye mixes épingle and épingler
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. épingle runs 7 letters (VCVCCCV) against épingler's 8 (VCVCCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between épingle and épingler
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: épingle is \e.pɛ̃ɡl\ while épingler is \e.pɛ̃.ɡle\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “épingle” sits inside “épingler”, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 49201, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
épingle is recorded at frequency rank #14,831, classified as anoun, pronounced \e.pɛ̃ɡl\. épingler is at rank #34,370, tagged as averb, pronounced \e.pɛ̃.ɡle\.
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 49201, this pair ranks #172,604 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of épingle vs épingler
Shared letters: egilnpé. Private to "épingle": -. Private to "épingler": r.
"épingle" · 7 letters · shape VCVCCCV · "épingler" · 8 letters · shape VCVCCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "épingle" for "épingler" ever safe?
In ordinary French text, does "épingle" or "épingler" show up more?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "épingle" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "épingler" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #172,604 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "épingle" and "épingler" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "épingler vs éponger". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #172,604 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.