Which to use
“faeces” is a noun and “frees” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #41,118
- “faeces” frequency rank
- #22,978
- “frees” frequency rank
- 64096
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | faeces | frees |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Alternative spelling of feces. | third-person singular simple present indicative of free |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set faeces and frees apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: faeces is anoun and freesaverb. On the page they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 64096, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
faeces is recorded at frequency rank #41,118, classified as anoun. frees is at rank #22,978, tagged as averb, pronounced /fɹiːz/.
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 64096, this pair ranks #79,500 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of faeces vs frees
Shared letters: efs. Private to "faeces": ac. Private to "frees": r.
"faeces" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVC · "frees" · 5 letters · shape CCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "faeces" and "frees" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "faeces" or "frees"?
Remembering faeces vs frees
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “faeces”; for a verb, it's “frees”.
- 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