Which to use
“épées” is a noun and “épier” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #18,628
- “épées” frequency rank
- #49,447
- “épier” frequency rank
- 68075
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | épées | épier |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Pluriel de épée. | Observer secrètement et avec attention les actions, les discours de quelqu’un, ou ce qui se passe quelque part. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set épées and épier apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: épées is \e.pe\ while épier is \e.pje\. 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 (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 68075, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
épées is recorded at frequency rank #18,628, classified as anoun, pronounced \e.pe\. épier is at rank #49,447, tagged as averb, pronounced \e.pje\.
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 68075, this pair ranks #60,691 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of épées vs épier
Shared letters: epé. Private to "épées": s. Private to "épier": ir.
"épées" · 5 letters · shape VCVVC · "épier" · 5 letters · shape VCVVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "épées" and "épier" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "épées" or "épier"?
Remembering épées vs épier
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “épées”; for a verb, it's “épier”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “épées” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable