# senpai vs sensei

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### senpai
*noun · IPA /ˈsɛnpaɪ/ · frequency rank #36,754*
The senior member of a group in Japanese arts; a mentor.

### sensei
*noun · IPA /ˈsɛnseɪ/ · frequency rank #25,570*
A martial arts instructor; especially one for a Japanese martial art.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/senpai-vs-sensei