Which to use
“su” is an adjective and “sun” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #20
- “su” frequency rank
- #8,323
- “sun” frequency rank
- 8343
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | su | sun |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Adjetivo posesivo de la tercera persona; de él, de ella, de ellos, de ellas. | Sol₂. |
Where the eye mixes su and sun
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between su and sun
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: su is [su] while sun is /sʌn/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “su” sits inside “sun”, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 8343, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
su is recorded at frequency rank #20, classified as anadj, pronounced [su]. sun is at rank #8,323, tagged as anoun, pronounced /sʌn/.
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 8343, this pair ranks #305,274 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of su vs sun
Shared letters: su. Private to "su": -. Private to "sun": n.
"su" · 2 letters · shape CV · "sun" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "su" and "sun" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "su" or "sun" 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 "su" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "sun" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #305,274 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "su" and "sun" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "sous vs sun". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #305,274 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.