Which to use
“se” is a pronoun and “st” is an intj - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #11
- “se” frequency rank
- #5,259
- “st” frequency rank
- 5270
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | se | st |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | (se reflexivo) Pronombre reflexivo anafórico que establece una correferencialidad con el sujeto de la oración en tercera persona. Equivalente al caso dativo, por lo que admite el refuerzo “a sí mismo”. | ¡Silencio!, ¡chito!, ¡callarse! |
Where the eye mixes se and st
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Why the eye confuses se with st
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: se is [se] while st is [st]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - e in “se” becomes t in “st”, and the parts of speech differ too (pronoun vs intj), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 5270, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
se is recorded at frequency rank #11, classified as apron, pronounced [se]. 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 5270, this pair ranks #314,059 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of se vs st
Shared letters: s. Private to "se": e. Private to "st": t.
"se" · 2 letters · shape CV · "st" · 2 letters · shape CC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "se" for "st" ever safe?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "se" or "st" show up more?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "se" 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 #314,059 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "se" and "st" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "st vs stem". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #314,059 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.