Which to use
“iec” and “iss” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #48,589
- “iec” frequency rank
- #22,303
- “iss” frequency rank
- 70892
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | iec | iss |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Deuxième personne du pluriel du présent du verbe ié. | Deuxième personne du singulier de l’impératif présent de essen. |
Where the eye mixes iec and iss
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence. iec (VVC) and iss (VCC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses iec with iss
A purely visual mix-up. iec (\iˈɛʃ\) and iss (\ɪs\) 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 70892, 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\. iss is at rank #22,303, tagged as averb, pronounced \ɪs\.
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 70892, this pair ranks #49,580 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of iec vs iss
Shared letters: i. Private to "iec": ce. Private to "iss": s.
"iec" · 3 letters · shape VVC · "iss" · 3 letters · shape VCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "iec" for "iss" ever safe?
In ordinary French text, does "iec" or "iss" show up more?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "iec" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "iss" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #49,580 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "iec" and "iss" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "iec vs isi". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #49,580 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.