i.e.

\i.ə\

/\i.ə\/ conj

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

The verdict

“i.e.” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as a conjunction. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
4
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - C’est-à-dire.

Corpus desk

Index FR-i-e · i.e. · French

i.e. · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "I" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for i.e.
PropertyValue
Headwordi.e.
LanguageFrench
Part of speechConjunction
IPA\i.ə\
Letters4
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Longue queue: rang de « i.e. » en français

i.e.reste hors des 100.000 mots français les plus fréquents, dans la longue queue du vocabulaire technique, archaïque ou rare, là où le doute d'orthographe frappe.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

i.e. is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as aconjunction, transcribed \i.ə\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "C’est-à-dire.".

i.e. doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is i.e., spelled I-.-E-..

Definition

  1. 1
    C’est-à-dire.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how i.e. appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Je passe à la TV dans l’émission de F.O.G. Après mûre réflexion, je décide de m’habiller de façon « rassurante » : veste de velours côtelé beige, col roulé vert, pantalon marron, i.e. bois, humus, chlorophylle.
  2. Le lieu où ils (i.e. les Orixa) prennent une partie de la matière originelle pour façonner la tête d’un homme est l’Ipori.

Synonyms

c’est-à-direc.-à-d.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "i.e."?
"i.e." is spelled I-.-E-.. The IPA pronunciation is \i.ə\.
What does "i.e." mean?
As a conjunction, "i.e." means: C’est-à-dire.
How do you pronounce "i.e."?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "i.e." is \i.ə\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "i.e." come from?
"i.e." 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list