Which to use
“ices” and “inns” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #48,810
- “ices” frequency rank
- #26,838
- “inns” frequency rank
- 75648
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ices | inns |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | plural of ice | plural of inn |
Where the eye mixes ices and inns
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence. ices (VCVC) and inns (VCCC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses ices with inns
A purely visual mix-up. ices (/ˈaɪsɪz/) and inns (/ɪnz/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 75648, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ices is recorded at frequency rank #48,810, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈaɪsɪz/. inns is at rank #26,838, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ɪnz/.
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 75648, this pair ranks #32,499 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of ices vs inns
Shared letters: is. Private to "ices": ce. Private to "inns": n.
"ices" · 4 letters · shape VCVC · "inns" · 4 letters · shape VCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ices" and "inns" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary English text, does "ices" or "inns" show up more?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "ices" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "inns" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #32,499 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ices" and "inns" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "ices vs ICJ". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #32,499 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.