Which to use
“échec” is an intj and “élec” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,306
- “échec” frequency rank
- #45,965
- “élec” frequency rank
- 48271
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | échec | élec |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Attaque sur le roi, au jeu d’échecs, de sorte qu’il est obligé de se retirer ou de se couvrir. | Électricité. |
Where the eye mixes échec and élec
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence. échec runs 5 letters (VCCVC) against élec's 4 (VCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between échec and élec
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: échec is \e.ʃɛk\ while élec is \e.lɛk\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (intj vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 48271, 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\. élec is at rank #45,965, tagged as anoun, pronounced \e.lɛk\.
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 48271, this pair ranks #180,248 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of échec vs élec
Shared letters: ceé. Private to "échec": h. Private to "élec": l.
"échec" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC · "élec" · 4 letters · shape VCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "échec" for "élec" ever safe?
Which is more common, "échec" or "élec"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "échec" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "élec" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #180,248 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "échec" and "élec" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "élec vs ell". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #180,248 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.