Which to use
“ei” is a verb and “ein” is a num - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #9,105
- “ei” frequency rank
- #36,010
- “ein” frequency rank
- 45115
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ei | ein |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | La tercera persona singular del verbo de negación, usado en el indicativo, en el condicional y en el potencial; "no". | Un uno. |
Where the eye mixes ei and ein
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between ei and ein
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: ei is [ˈe̞i̯] while ein is [aɪ̯n]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “ei” sits inside “ein”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs num), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 45115, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ei is recorded at frequency rank #9,105, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈe̞i̯]. ein is at rank #36,010, tagged as anum, pronounced [aɪ̯n].
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 45115, this pair ranks #133,304 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of ei vs ein
Shared letters: ei. Private to "ei": -. Private to "ein": n.
"ei" · 2 letters · shape VV · "ein" · 3 letters · shape VVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "ei" and "ein" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "ei" or "ein"?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "ei" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "ein" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #133,304 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ei" and "ein" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "ein vs EPL". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #133,304 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.