Which to use
“feu” and “fic” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #568
- “feu” frequency rank
- #46,762
- “fic” frequency rank
- 47330
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | feu | fic |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Phénomène calorifique et lumineux produit par la combustion d'une matière inflammable ; un des quatre éléments des Anciens. | Verrue à pédoncule étroit ressemblant à une figue. |
Where the eye mixes feu and fic
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between feu and fic
A purely visual mix-up. feu (\fø\) and fic (\fik\) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 47330, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
feu is recorded at frequency rank #568, classified as anoun, pronounced \fø\. fic is at rank #46,762, tagged as anoun, pronounced \fik\.
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 47330, this pair ranks #187,802 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of feu vs fic
Shared letters: f. Private to "feu": eu. Private to "fic": ci.
"feu" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "fic" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "feu" for "fic" ever safe?
Frequency check: "feu" vs "fic" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "feu" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "fic" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #187,802 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "feu" and "fic" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Fee vs fic". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #187,802 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.