Which to use
“râteau” and “ratée” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #33,452
- “râteau” frequency rank
- #15,989
- “ratée” frequency rank
- 49441
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | râteau | ratée |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Outil constitué d’un manche et d’une barre garnie de dents en fer ou en bois, utilisé pour regrouper des choses dispersées sur le sol (feuilles mortes, gravillons, terre) et pour égaliser un terrain. | Femme qui n’a pas réussi dans une entreprise, dans une démarche, dans sa vie, etc. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set râteau and ratée 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. râteau (\ʁɑ.to\) and ratée (\ʁa.te\) 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 49441, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
râteau is recorded at frequency rank #33,452, classified as anoun, pronounced \ʁɑ.to\. ratée is at rank #15,989, tagged as anoun, pronounced \ʁa.te\.
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 49441, this pair ranks #170,646 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of râteau vs ratée
Shared letters: aert. Private to "râteau": uâ. Private to "ratée": é.
"râteau" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVV · "ratée" · 5 letters · shape CVCVV
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "râteau" and "ratée" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "râteau" or "ratée"?
Remembering râteau vs ratée
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 “râteau” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable