Which to use
“sh” is an intj and “show” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #26,233
- “sh” frequency rank
- #1,997
- “show” frequency rank
- 28230
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | sh | show |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Grafía alternativa de shh. | Espectáculo. |
Where the eye mixes sh and show
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses sh with show
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: sh is [ˈʃ] while show is [ˈʃow]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “sh” sits inside “show”, and the parts of speech differ too (intj vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 28230, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
sh is recorded at frequency rank #26,233, classified as anintj, pronounced [ˈʃ]. show is at rank #1,997, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃow].
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 28230, this pair ranks #223,008 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of sh vs show
Shared letters: hs. Private to "sh": -. Private to "show": ow.
"sh" · 2 letters · shape CC · "show" · 4 letters · shape CCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- show ← hsow · shhow · showw · shwo · sohw · sshow
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "sh" for "show" ever safe?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "sh" or "show" show up more?
What to do next
Eye-level mix-up between "sh" and "show" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "sh" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "show" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #223,008 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "sh" and "show" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "sh vs spy". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #223,008 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.