Which to use
“iec” is a verb and “ire” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #48,589
- “iec” frequency rank
- #23,590
- “ire” frequency rank
- 72179
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | iec | ire |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Deuxième personne du pluriel du présent du verbe ié. | Colère. |
Where the eye mixes iec and ire
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence. iec (VVC) and ire (VCV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Visual trap between iec and ire
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: iec is \iˈɛʃ\ while ire is \iʁ\. 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 72179, 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\. ire is at rank #23,590, tagged as anoun, pronounced \iʁ\.
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 72179, this pair ranks #44,919 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of iec vs ire
Shared letters: ei. Private to "iec": c. Private to "ire": r.
"iec" · 3 letters · shape VVC · "ire" · 3 letters · shape VCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "iec" and "ire" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "iec" vs "ire" - 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 "iec" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "ire" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #44,919 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "iec" and "ire" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "iec vs isi". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #44,919 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.