Which to use
“bis” is an adjective and “box” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #7,530
- “bis” frequency rank
- #4,314
- “box” frequency rank
- 11844
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | bis | box |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Qui est d’un gris beige foncé #766F64 ou clair #F1E2BE. | Compartiment disposé dans les écuries ou les étables pour isoler les animaux et les y tenir libres et sans attaches. |
Where the eye mixes bis and box
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Why the eye confuses bis with box
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: bis is \bi\ while box is \bɔks\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 11844, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
bis is recorded at frequency rank #7,530, classified as anadj, pronounced \bi\. box is at rank #4,314, tagged as anoun, pronounced \bɔks\.
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 11844, this pair ranks #407,606 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of bis vs box
Shared letters: b. Private to "bis": is. Private to "box": ox.
"bis" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "box" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "bis" and "box" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "bis" or "box"?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "bis" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "box" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #407,606 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "bis" and "box" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "ber vs bis". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #407,606 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.