Español homophones
key/ki/qui
"key" is a noun; "qui" is a pronoun - grammar picks the spelling, not sound. Size rank #6 of 387 Spanish groups.
Data vintage
Grammar picks the spelling
Same sound, different grammar: "key" arrives as a noun, while "qui" is a pronoun. Once the sentence role is fixed, only one spelling fits.
Spelling pairs in this cluster
- No shared spelling stem: "key" is 3 letters, "ki" is 2; only the sound ties them.
- No shared spelling stem: "key" is 3 letters, "qui" is 3; only the sound ties them.
- No shared spelling stem: "ki" is 2 letters, "qui" is 3; only the sound ties them.
Orthographic DNA of this cluster
Shared letters across key, ki, qui: none. Private letters are the ones only one spelling owns: the eye's fastest tell once sound is out of the picture.
key
3 letters · 2 vowels · shape CVV
Inventory eky · private eky
ki
2 letters · 1 vowels · shape CV
Inventory ik · private ik
qui
3 letters · 2 vowels · shape CVV
Inventory iqu · private iqu
Pick the spelling from the meaning
- Write "key" when you mean: Llave.
- Write "ki" when you mean: Perro.
- Write "qui" when you mean: Quién.