Which to use
“iec” is a verb and “ile” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #48,589
- “iec” frequency rank
- #3,925
- “ile” frequency rank
- 52514
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | iec | ile |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Deuxième personne du pluriel du présent du verbe ié. | Espace de terre entouré d’eau de tous côtés. |
Where the eye mixes iec and ile
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence. iec (VVC) and ile (VCV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Visual trap between iec and ile
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: iec is \iˈɛʃ\ while ile is \il\. 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 (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 52514, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
iec is recorded at frequency rank #48,589, classified as averb, pronounced \iˈɛʃ\. ile is at rank #3,925, tagged as anoun, pronounced \il\.
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 52514, this pair ranks #147,192 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of iec vs ile
Shared letters: ei. Private to "iec": c. Private to "ile": l.
"iec" · 3 letters · shape VVC · "ile" · 3 letters · shape VCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "iec" for "ile" ever safe?
Frequency check: "iec" vs "ile" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "iec" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "ile" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #147,192 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "iec" and "ile" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "iec vs isi". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #147,192 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.