Which to use
“échec” is an intj and “échecs” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,306
- “échec” frequency rank
- #6,573
- “échecs” frequency rank
- 8879
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | échec | échecs |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Attaque sur le roi, au jeu d’échecs, de sorte qu’il est obligé de se retirer ou de se couvrir. | Jeu de stratégie millénaire opposant deux joueurs qui disposent chacun de seize pièces pour paralyser le roi adverse. |
Same sound, different letters: échec vs échecs
Muted letters are shared; highlighted letters are the only spelling cue when pronunciation matches. Shared run: 5 letters. échec runs 5 letters (VCCVC) against échecs's 6 (VCCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Ear matches; page differs - échec and échecs
Say them out loud and nothing separates them: échec and échecs carry the same recorded pronunciation, \e.ʃɛk\. Grammar is what tells them apart: one is anintj, the other anoun, so most sentences will only accept one of them. They differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “échec” sits inside “échecs”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 8879, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
échec is recorded at frequency rank #2,306, classified as anintj, pronounced \e.ʃɛk\. échecs is at rank #6,573, tagged as anoun, pronounced \e.ʃɛk\.
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 8879, this pair ranks #418,554 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of échec vs échecs
Shared letters: cehé. Private to "échec": -. Private to "échecs": s.
"échec" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC · "échecs" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "échec" and "échecs" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "échec" vs "échecs" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
You've separated the homophone pair "échec" / "échecs". Follow the links when you need the full entry or a neighbour that trips the same ear.
- Full dictionary entry for "échec" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "échecs" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #418,554 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "échec" and "échecs" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "échec vs élec". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #418,554 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.