Which to use
“fai” and “fis” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #40,830
- “fai” frequency rank
- #37,094
- “fis” frequency rank
- 77924
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fai | fis |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del singular (el, ela, vostede) del presente de indicativo de facer. | Primera persona del singular (je) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de faire. |
Where the eye mixes fai and fis
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence. fai (CVV) and fis (CVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses fai with fis
A purely visual mix-up. fai ([ˈfa̠j]) and fis ([fi]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 77924, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
fai is recorded at frequency rank #40,830, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈfa̠j]. fis is at rank #37,094, tagged as averb, pronounced [fi].
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 77924, this pair ranks #15,226 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of fai vs fis
Shared letters: fi. Private to "fai": a. Private to "fis": s.
"fai" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "fis" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "fai" and "fis" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "fai" or "fis"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "fai" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "fis" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #15,226 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "fai" and "fis" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "fai vs falo". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #15,226 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.