Which to use
“sec” is an adjective and “spy” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #17,813
- “sec” frequency rank
- #48,092
- “spy” frequency rank
- 65905
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | sec | spy |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Seco | Espía. |
Where the eye mixes sec and spy
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Look-alike desk: sec vs spy
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: sec is [sɛk] while spy is /spaɪ/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 65905, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
sec is recorded at frequency rank #17,813, classified as anadj, pronounced [sɛk]. spy is at rank #48,092, tagged as anoun, pronounced /spaɪ/.
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 65905, this pair ranks #41,316 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of sec vs spy
Shared letters: s. Private to "sec": ce. Private to "spy": py.
"sec" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "spy" · 3 letters · shape CCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "sec" and "spy" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "sec" or "spy"?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "sec" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "spy" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #41,316 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "sec" and "spy" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "sei vs spy". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #41,316 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.