Which to use
“étayer” and “évader” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #23,741
- “étayer” frequency rank
- #15,074
- “évader” frequency rank
- 38815
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | étayer | évader |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Appuyer, soutenir une structure avec un ou des étais. | (Utilisé uniquement dans s’évader et faire évader) S’échapper furtivement. |
Where the eye mixes étayer and évader
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. étayer (VCVVVC) and évader (VCVCVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: étayer vs évader
A purely visual mix-up. étayer (\e.tɛ.je\) and évader (\e.va.de\) 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 38815, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
étayer is recorded at frequency rank #23,741, classified as averb, pronounced \e.tɛ.je\. évader is at rank #15,074, tagged as averb, pronounced \e.va.de\.
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 38815, this pair ranks #252,596 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of étayer vs évader
Shared letters: aeré. Private to "étayer": ty. Private to "évader": dv.
"étayer" · 6 letters · shape VCVVVC · "évader" · 6 letters · shape VCVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "étayer" and "évader" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "étayer" or "évader"?
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 "étayer" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "évader" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #252,596 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "étayer" and "évader" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "étayée vs étayer". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #252,596 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.