Which to use
“café” is a noun and “caí” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,337
- “café” frequency rank
- #11,538
- “caí” frequency rank
- 12875
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | café | caí |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Semilla del fruto del cafeto, rica en el estimulante cafeína, que se emplea tostada y molida para preparar una bebida con estas propiedades que se consume en casi todo el mundo. Es el segundo producto en volumen en el comercio internacional, solo superado por el petróleo. | Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de caer o de caerse. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set café and caí apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: café is [kaˈfe] while caí is [kaˈi]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 12875, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
café is recorded at frequency rank #1,337, classified as anoun, pronounced [kaˈfe]. caí is at rank #11,538, tagged as averb, pronounced [kaˈi].
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 12875, this pair ranks #289,942 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of café vs caí
Shared letters: ac. Private to "café": fé. Private to "caí": í.
"café" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "caí" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "café" and "caí" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "café" or "caí"?
Remembering café vs caí
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “café”; for a verb, it's “caí”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “café” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable