Which to use
“ies” is a noun and “ix” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #25,358
- “ies” frequency rank
- #9,027
- “ix” frequency rank
- 34385
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ies | ix |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Pluriel de ie. | Troisième personne du singulier du présent de l’indicatif de eixir. |
Where the eye mixes ies and ix
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between ies and ix
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: ies is \je\ while ix is \ˈiʃ\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 34385, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ies is recorded at frequency rank #25,358, classified as anoun, pronounced \je\. ix is at rank #9,027, tagged as averb, pronounced \ˈiʃ\.
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 34385, this pair ranks #284,207 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of ies vs ix
Shared letters: i. Private to "ies": es. Private to "ix": x.
"ies" · 3 letters · shape VVC · "ix" · 2 letters · shape VC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ies" and "ix" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary French text, does "ies" or "ix" 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 "ies" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "ix" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #284,207 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ies" and "ix" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "ies vs isi". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #284,207 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.