Which to use
“fed” is a verb and “fes” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #19,409
- “fed” frequency rank
- #38,122
- “fes” frequency rank
- 57531
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fed | fes |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Pasado simple del verbo (to) feed. | Forma del plural de fe. |
Where the eye mixes fed and fes
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between fed and fes
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: fed is /fɛd/ while fes is [ˈfes]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - d in “fed” becomes s in “fes”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 57531, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
fed is recorded at frequency rank #19,409, classified as averb, pronounced /fɛd/. fes is at rank #38,122, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈfes].
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 57531, this pair ranks #70,154 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of fed vs fes
Shared letters: ef. Private to "fed": d. Private to "fes": s.
"fed" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "fes" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "fed" for "fes" ever safe?
Which is more common, "fed" or "fes"?
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 "fed" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "fes" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #70,154 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "fed" and "fes" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "faces vs fes". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #70,154 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.