Which to use
“épices” and “épicier” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #12,088
- “épices” frequency rank
- #26,232
- “épicier” frequency rank
- 38320
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | épices | épicier |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Émolument qui était dû aux juges pendant un procès. Forme elliptique de épices des juges. | Commerçant qui tient une épicerie. |
Where the eye mixes épices and épicier
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. épices runs 6 letters (VCVCVC) against épicier's 7 (VCVCVVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: épices vs épicier
A purely visual mix-up. épices (\e.pis\) and épicier (\e.pi.sje\) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38320, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
épices is recorded at frequency rank #12,088, classified as anoun, pronounced \e.pis\. épicier is at rank #26,232, tagged as anoun, pronounced \e.pi.sje\.
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 38320, this pair ranks #256,099 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of épices vs épicier
Shared letters: ceipé. Private to "épices": s. Private to "épicier": r.
"épices" · 6 letters · shape VCVCVC · "épicier" · 7 letters · shape VCVCVVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "épices" for "épicier" ever safe?
Which is more common, "épices" or "épicier"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "épices" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "épicier" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #256,099 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "épices" and "épicier" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "épicier vs épier". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #256,099 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.