Which to use
“sí” is an adverb and “sur” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #146
- “sí” frequency rank
- #517
- “sur” frequency rank
- 663
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | sí | sur |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Palabra usada para expresar afirmación. | Punto cardinal del horizonte, exactamente donde se encuentra el Sol a mediodía (en el hemisferio norte), marcado a 180° con respecto al Norte en una brújula. Convencionalmente se ubica en la parte inferior de los mapas,. |
Where the eye mixes sí and sur
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Why the eye confuses sí with sur
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: sí is [ˈsi] while sur is [ˈsuɾ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adverb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 663, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
sí is recorded at frequency rank #146, classified as anadv, pronounced [ˈsi]. sur is at rank #517, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈsuɾ].
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 663, this pair ranks #323,125 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of sí vs sur
Shared letters: s. Private to "sí": í. Private to "sur": ru.
"sí" · 2 letters · shape CV · "sur" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "sí" and "sur" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "sí" or "sur" 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 "sí" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "sur" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #323,125 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "sí" and "sur" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Segur vs sur". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #323,125 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.