Which to use
“étrangle” and “étrangler” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #36,677
- “étrangle” frequency rank
- #23,084
- “étrangler” frequency rank
- 59761
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | étrangle | étrangler |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Première personne du singulier du présent de l’indicatif de étrangler. | Serrer à la gorge de manière à faire perdre la respiration ou même la vie. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set étrangle and étrangler apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. étrangle (\e.tʁɑ̃ɡl\) and étrangler (\e.tʁɑ̃.ɡle\) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “étrangle” sits inside “étrangler”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 59761, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
étrangle is recorded at frequency rank #36,677, classified as averb, pronounced \e.tʁɑ̃ɡl\. étrangler is at rank #23,084, tagged as averb, pronounced \e.tʁɑ̃.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 59761, this pair ranks #101,336 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of étrangle vs étrangler
Shared letters: aeglnrté. Private to "étrangle": -. Private to "étrangler": -.
"étrangle" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCCV · "étrangler" · 9 letters · shape VCCVCCCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "étrangle" and "étrangler" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "étrangle" or "étrangler"?
Remembering étrangle vs étrangler
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “étrangle” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable