Which to use
“set” is a verb and “sex” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #234
- “set” frequency rank
- #611
- “sex” frequency rank
- 845
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | set | sex |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To put (something) down, to rest. | A category into which sexually-reproducing organisms are divided on the basis of their reproductive roles in their species; the system of such categories, which can differ by organism or by taxonomic branch. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set set and sex apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
set and sex form a confusable pair in the English index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by a single letter - t in “set” becomes x in “sex” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 845, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
set is recorded at frequency rank #234, classified as averb, pronounced /sɛt/. sex is at rank #611, tagged as anoun, pronounced /sɛks/.
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 845, this pair ranks #528,652 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "set" and "sex" be used interchangeably?
Remembering set vs sex
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “set”; for a noun, it's “sex”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “set” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable