Which to use
“sei” is a num and “seu” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #48,072
- “sei” frequency rank
- #35,751
- “seu” frequency rank
- 83823
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | sei | seu |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Seis. | Su. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set sei and seu apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: sei is /s̺ej/ while seu is [ˈsew]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - i in “sei” becomes u in “seu”, and the parts of speech differ too (num vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 83823, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
sei is recorded at frequency rank #48,072, classified as anum, pronounced /s̺ej/. seu is at rank #35,751, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈsew].
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 83823, this pair ranks #7,688 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of sei vs seu
Shared letters: es. Private to "sei": i. Private to "seu": u.
"sei" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "seu" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "sei" and "seu" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "sei" or "seu"?
Remembering sei vs seu
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a num, it's “sei”; for an adjective, it's “seu”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “sei” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable