Which to use
“flan” and “fléau” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #23,213
- “flan” frequency rank
- #10,502
- “fléau” frequency rank
- 33715
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | flan | fléau |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Sorte de tarte faite avec de la crème, des œufs et de la farine. | Instrument composé de deux bâtons attachés l’un à l’autre à leur bout par un lien flexible, et qui sert à battre le grain pour le séparer de la tige et de l'épi, à la manière d’un fouet rigide. L’un des deux bâtons est le manche de l’outil, l’autre en est la lame. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set flan and fléau apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. flan (\flɑ̃\) and fléau (\fle.o\) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 33715, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
flan is recorded at frequency rank #23,213, classified as anoun, pronounced \flɑ̃\. fléau is at rank #10,502, tagged as anoun, pronounced \fle.o\.
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 33715, this pair ranks #288,784 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of flan vs fléau
Shared letters: afl. Private to "flan": n. Private to "fléau": ué.
"flan" · 4 letters · shape CCVC · "fléau" · 5 letters · shape CCVVV
Known mistypes of this pair
- flan ← faln · fflan · flann · fllan · flna · lfan
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "flan" and "fléau" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "flan" or "fléau"?
Remembering flan vs fléau
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 “flan” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable