sigmavssignWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“sigma” and “sign” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#36,291
“sigma” frequency rank
#36,292
“sign” frequency rank
72583
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature sigma sign
Definition Parte del intestino grueso que, en el hombre, continúa después del colon descendente, a la altura de la pelvis y es seguido por el recto. En esta parte los gases se acumulan para ser luego expulsados sin interferir con las heces. Señal.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set sigma and sign apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
sigma
4 ch
sign

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. sigma ([ˈsiɣ̞ma]) and sign (/saɪn/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 72583, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

sigma is recorded at frequency rank #36,291, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈsiɣ̞ma]. sign is at rank #36,292, tagged as anoun, pronounced /saɪn/.

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 72583, this pair ranks #25,050 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of sigma vs sign

Shared letters: gis. Private to "sigma": am. Private to "sign": n.

"sigma" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV  ·  "sign" · 4 letters · shape CVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • sigmacigma · isgma · sgima · sigam · siggma · sigmma · simga · ssigma
  • signcign · isgn · sgin · siggn · signn · ssign

Frequency comparison

sigma#36,291
sign#36,292

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "sigma" and "sign" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈsiɣ̞ma] versus /saɪn/) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "sigma" or "sign"?
"sigma" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #36,291 in our Spanish list, against #36,292 for "sign". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering sigma vs sign

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “sigma” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list