Which to use
“équilibre” is a noun and “équilibrer” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,458
- “équilibre” frequency rank
- #17,317
- “équilibrer” frequency rank
- 19775
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | équilibre | équilibrer |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | État des corps maintenus en repos sous l’influence de plusieurs forces qui se contrebalancent exactement. | Mettre ou tenir en équilibre. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set équilibre and équilibrer apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: équilibre is \e.ki.libʁ\ while équilibrer is \e.ki.li.bʁe\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “équilibre” sits inside “équilibrer”, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 19775, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
équilibre is recorded at frequency rank #2,458, classified as anoun, pronounced \e.ki.libʁ\. équilibrer is at rank #17,317, tagged as averb, pronounced \e.ki.li.bʁe\.
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 19775, this pair ranks #371,620 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of équilibre vs équilibrer
Shared letters: beilqrué. Private to "équilibre": -. Private to "équilibrer": -.
"équilibre" · 9 letters · shape VCVVCVCCV · "équilibrer" · 10 letters · shape VCVVCVCCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "équilibre" and "équilibrer" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "équilibre" or "équilibrer"?
Remembering équilibre vs équilibrer
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “équilibre”; for a verb, it's “équilibrer”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “équilibre” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable