Which to use
“sos” is a verb and “sto” is a num - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,331
- “sos” frequency rank
- #36,304
- “sto” frequency rank
- 37635
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | sos | sto |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Segunda persona del singular (vos) del presente de indicativo de ser. | Ciento. |
Where the eye mixes sos and sto
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: sos vs sto
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: sos is [ˈsos] while sto is [ˈsto]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs num), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 37635, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
sos is recorded at frequency rank #1,331, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈsos]. sto is at rank #36,304, tagged as anum, pronounced [ˈsto].
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 37635, this pair ranks #174,254 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of sos vs sto
Shared letters: os. Private to "sos": -. Private to "sto": t.
"sos" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "sto" · 3 letters · shape CCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "sos" for "sto" ever safe?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "sos" or "sto" show up more?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "sos" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "sto" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #174,254 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "sos" and "sto" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "stem vs sto". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #174,254 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.