Which to use
“sad” is an adjective and “st” is an intj - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #18,972
- “sad” frequency rank
- #5,259
- “st” frequency rank
- 24231
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | sad | st |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Triste, amarrido. | ¡Silencio!, ¡chito!, ¡callarse! |
Where the eye mixes sad and st
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Why the eye confuses sad with st
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: sad is /sæd/ while st is [st]. 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 (adjective vs intj), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 24231, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
sad is recorded at frequency rank #18,972, classified as anadj, pronounced /sæd/. st is at rank #5,259, tagged as anintj, pronounced [st].
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 24231, this pair ranks #242,116 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of sad vs st
Shared letters: s. Private to "sad": ad. Private to "st": t.
"sad" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "st" · 2 letters · shape CC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "sad" for "st" ever safe?
Frequency check: "sad" vs "st" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "sad" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "st" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #242,116 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "sad" and "st" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "sad vs sari". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #242,116 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.