# fess vs fist

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### fess
*verb · IPA /fɛs/ · frequency rank #43,640*
To confess; to admit.

### fist
*noun · IPA /fɪst/ · frequency rank #8,423*
A hand with the fingers clenched or curled inward.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fess-vs-fist