Which to use
“bei” is a preposition and “but” is an adverb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #35,376
- “bei” frequency rank
- #11,178
- “but” frequency rank
- 46554
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | bei | but |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Cerca de, junto a. | Muy. |
Where the eye mixes bei and but
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between bei and but
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: bei is [baɪ] while but is [ˈbut̪]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (preposition vs adverb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 46554, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
bei is recorded at frequency rank #35,376, classified as aprep, pronounced [baɪ]. but is at rank #11,178, tagged as anadv, pronounced [ˈbut̪].
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 46554, this pair ranks #125,072 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of bei vs but
Shared letters: b. Private to "bei": ei. Private to "but": tu.
"bei" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "but" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "bei" for "but" ever safe?
Frequency check: "bei" vs "but" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "bei" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "but" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #125,072 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "bei" and "but" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "bei vs brie". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #125,072 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.