Which to use
“sic” is an adverb and “sim” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #11,861
- “sic” frequency rank
- #14,009
- “sim” frequency rank
- 25870
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | sic | sim |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Úsase en textos escritos para señalar que una transcripción o cita es textual, y que por lo tanto las imprecisiones o errores se deben al autor y no a quien transcribe | Primera persona del singular del presente activo de subjuntivo de sum. |
Where the eye mixes sic and sim
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between sic and sim
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: sic is [ˈsik] while sim is /ˈsim/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - c in “sic” becomes m in “sim”, and the parts of speech differ too (adverb vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 25870, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
sic is recorded at frequency rank #11,861, classified as anadv, pronounced [ˈsik]. sim is at rank #14,009, tagged as averb, pronounced /ˈsim/.
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 25870, this pair ranks #234,420 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of sic vs sim
Shared letters: is. Private to "sic": c. Private to "sim": m.
"sic" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "sim" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "sic" for "sim" ever safe?
Frequency check: "sic" vs "sim" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "sic" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "sim" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #234,420 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "sic" and "sim" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "sim vs stem". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #234,420 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.