Which to use
“sai” and “sha” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #47,708
- “sai” frequency rank
- #40,842
- “sha” frequency rank
- 88550
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | sai | sha |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs sapere | eine Flüssigkeit aufnehmen; trinken |
Where the eye mixes sai and sha
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence. sai (CVV) and sha (CCV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Visual trap between sai and sha
A purely visual mix-up. sai ([ˈsai̯]) and sha ([ʃáː]) 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 88550, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
sai is recorded at frequency rank #47,708, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈsai̯]. sha is at rank #40,842, tagged as averb, pronounced [ʃáː].
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 88550, this pair ranks #67,118 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of sai vs sha
Shared letters: as. Private to "sai": i. Private to "sha": h.
"sai" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "sha" · 3 letters · shape CCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "sai" and "sha" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "sai" or "sha"?
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 "sai" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "sha" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #67,118 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "sai" and "sha" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "sai vs seg". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #67,118 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.