issvsissueWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: iss is a verb, issue is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“iss” is a verb and “issue” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#6,551
“iss” frequency rank
#37,597
“issue” frequency rank
44148
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature iss issue
Definition 2. Person Singular Imperativ des Verbs essen ein Thema, über das diskutiert wird

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set iss and issue apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

3 ch
iss
5 ch
issue

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

iss and issue form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “iss” sits inside “issue” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 44148, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

iss is recorded at frequency rank #6,551, classified as averb, pronounced [ɪs]. issue is at rank #37,597, tagged as anoun, pronounced […].

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 44148, this pair ranks #1,395,469 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Frequency comparison

iss#6,551
issue#37,597

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "iss" and "issue" be used interchangeably?
No, "iss" and "issue" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering iss vs issue

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “iss”; for a noun, it's “issue”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “iss” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list