épi

\e.pi\

/\e.pi\/ noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“épi” sits in 20 confusable pairs (corpus #26,231) as a noun. The look-alike neighbours are the real trap.

#26,231
frequency rank, French
40,273
“É” headwords
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Partie du blé et de plusieurs autres plantes graminées, qui est placée au sommet de la tige, et formée par la réunion des graines.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

épi vs et
0% similar
épi vs Eu
0% similar
épi vs ez
0% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for épi
PropertyValue
Headwordépi
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\e.pi\
Letters3
Frequency rank#26,231
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “épi” sits in French frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). épi lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Easy to mix with look-alikes

The spelling risk for épi is neighbouring look-alikes ("et", "Eu", …), not just typos; it is anoun pronounced \e.pi\. Frequency #26,231 among 40,273 “É” headwords. 10 recorded senses keep meaning in play.

épi doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "et", "Eu", "ez", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct French form is épi, spelled É-P-I.

Definition

  1. 1
    Partie du blé et de plusieurs autres plantes graminées, qui est placée au sommet de la tige, et formée par la réunion des graines.
  2. 2
    Toute inflorescence dont les fleurs sont disposées autour d'un axe central, sans pédicelle ou avec un pédicelle très court.
  3. 3
    Mèche rebelle de cheveux qui se dressent et s’écartent les uns des autres.
  4. 4
    Sorte de bandage dont les tours représentent en quelque manière un épi d’orge.
  5. 5
    Disposition des briques d’un pavé, posées de chant et diagonalement.
  6. 6
    Ouvrage hydraulique ayant pour objet de modifier le mouvement des eaux et de solidifier les berges.
  7. 7
    Meuble de bibliothèque placé au milieu d’une salle et non le long des murs.
  8. 8
    Synonyme de épimorphisme.
  9. 9
    Type de stationnement ni parallèle, ni perpendiculaire à la route.
  10. 10
    Élément décoratif placé sur le faîtage d'une toiture.

Synonyms

penouillespica

Antonyms

bataillecréneau

This word in other languages

ear(English)espiga(Español)Ähre(Deutsch)espiga(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "épi"?
"épi" is spelled É-P-I. The IPA pronunciation is \e.pi\.
What does "épi" mean?
As a noun, "épi" means: Partie du blé et de plusieurs autres plantes graminées, qui est placée au sommet de la tige, et formée par la réunion des graines.
What words are commonly confused with "épi"?
"épi" is commonly confused with "et", "Eu", "ez". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "épi"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "épi" is \e.pi\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "épi" come from?
"épi" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “épi”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct French spelling is É-P-I - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \e.pi\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “et” - see the side-by-side comparison. épi vs et
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words

Words at a similar French frequency

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list