sui generis

[ˈswi ˈʃeneɾis]

/[ˈswi ˈʃeneɾis]/ phrase

The verdict

“sui generis” is outside the top-ranked Spanish vocabulary, used as a phrase - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency Spanish
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - De su propio género.

Key facts for sui generis
PropertyValue
Headwordsui generis
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechPhrase
IPA[ˈswi ˈʃeneɾis]
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “sui generis” sits in Spanish frequency

sui generis falls outside the top-100,000 ranked Spanish words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The Spanish entry for sui generis is 11 letters long, classified as a phrase, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈswi ˈʃeneɾis]. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "De su propio género.".

sui generis has no tracked misspelling variants, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct Spanish form is sui generis, spelled S-U-I- -G-E-N-E-R-I-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    De su propio género.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "sui generis"?
"sui generis" is spelled S-U-I- -G-E-N-E-R-I-S. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈswi ˈʃeneɾis].
What does "sui generis" mean?
As a phrase, "sui generis" means: De su propio género.
How do you pronounce "sui generis"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sui generis" is [ˈswi ˈʃeneɾis]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "sui generis" come from?
"sui generis" is a Spanish word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “sui generis”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is S-U-I- -G-E-N-E-R-I-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈswi ˈʃeneɾis] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more Spanish words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Spanish words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list