Which to use
“fer” and “fes” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #14,849
- “fer” frequency rank
- #38,122
- “fes” frequency rank
- 52971
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fer | fes |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Mutación aspirada del sustantivo colectivo per ('peras') | Forma del plural de fe. |
Where the eye mixes fer and fes
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between fer and fes
A purely visual mix-up. fer ([ˈf̬eːr]) and fes ([ˈfes]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by a single letter - r in “fer” becomes s in “fes”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 52971, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
fer is recorded at frequency rank #14,849, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈf̬eːr]. 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 52971, this pair ranks #90,187 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of fer vs fes
Shared letters: ef. Private to "fer": r. Private to "fes": s.
"fer" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "fes" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "fer" and "fes" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "fer" vs "fes" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "fer" 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 #90,187 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "fer" and "fes" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "faces vs fes". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #90,187 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.