Which to use
“faeces” and “feces” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #41,118
- “faeces” frequency rank
- #21,795
- “feces” frequency rank
- 62913
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | faeces | feces |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Alternative spelling of feces. | Digested waste material (typically solid or semi-solid) discharged from a human or other mammal's stomach to the intestines; excrement. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set faeces and feces apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
faeces and feces are indexed as a confusable English pair. We have no recorded pronunciation or part of speech for both members, so the spelling overlap is what we can show you: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 62913, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
faeces is recorded at frequency rank #41,118, classified as anoun. feces is at rank #21,795, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈfiːsiːz/.
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 62913, this pair ranks #85,884 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of faeces vs feces
Shared letters: cefs. Private to "faeces": a. Private to "feces": -.
"faeces" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVC · "feces" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "faeces" and "feces" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "faeces" or "feces"?
Remembering faeces vs feces
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 “faeces” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable