Which to use
“sec” is an adjective and “sus” is an intj - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #17,813
- “sec” frequency rank
- #32
- “sus” frequency rank
- 17845
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | sec | sus |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Seco | Se emplea para avivar, infundir ánimo e incitar a la acción rápida y con vigor. |
Where the eye mixes sec and sus
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between sec and sus
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: sec is [sɛk] while sus is [sus]. 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 intj), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 17845, 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]. sus is at rank #32, tagged as anintj, pronounced [sus].
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 17845, this pair ranks #270,463 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of sec vs sus
Shared letters: s. Private to "sec": ce. Private to "sus": u.
"sec" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "sus" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "sec" and "sus" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "sec" or "sus" show up more?
What to do next
Eye-level mix-up between "sec" and "sus" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "sec" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "sus" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #270,463 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "sec" and "sus" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "sec vs stem". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #270,463 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.