si

\si\

/\si\/ conj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“si” sits in 20 confusable pairs (corpus #46) as a conjunction. The look-alike neighbours are the real trap.

#46
frequency rank, French
6,032
“S” headwords
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 2, 2026) - Dans le cas où, à condition que, supposé que. Note d’usage : Conjonction qui introduit une condition (suivie d’une conséquence) ou une supposition qui peut être supprimée en utilisant un conditionnel.

Corpus desk

Index FR-si · si · French

si · rank #46 · 0 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #46
  • LEN-SHORT 2 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,032
  • PHOTO-FINISH ou

Nearest frequency peer: ou (-1 rank slots)

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Frequency neighbourhood for “si”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “si” sits against the nearest ranked French headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 2, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

si vs st
50% similar
si vs su
50% similar
si vs so
50% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for si
PropertyValue
Headwordsi
LanguageFrench
Part of speechConjunction
IPA\si\
Letters2
Frequency rank#46
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “si” sits in French frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). si lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Easy to mix with look-alikes

The spelling risk for si is neighbouring look-alikes ("st", "su", …), not just typos; it is aconjunction pronounced \si\. Frequency #46 among 6,032 “S” headwords. 7 recorded senses keep meaning in play.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for si, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "st", "su", "so", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is si, spelled S-I.

Definition

  1. 1
    Dans le cas où, à condition que, supposé que. Note d’usage : Conjonction qui introduit une condition (suivie d’une conséquence) ou une supposition qui peut être supprimée en utilisant un conditionnel.
  2. 2
    Dans le cas où, à condition que, supposé que. Note d’usage : Conjonction qui introduit une condition (suivie d’une conséquence) ou une supposition qui peut être supprimée en utilisant un conditionnel.
  3. 3
    Dans le cas où, à condition que, supposé que. Note d’usage : Conjonction qui introduit une condition (suivie d’une conséquence) ou une supposition qui peut être supprimée en utilisant un conditionnel.
  4. 4
    S’emploie encore elliptiquement pour exprimer un souhait, un regret.
  5. 5
    Dans diverses phrases où il s’agit, non d’une condition, d’une pure supposition, mais d’une chose certaine, il marque un rapport ou une opposition entre la proposition subordonnée et la proposition principale.
  6. 6
    Si oui ou non. Note d’usage : Conjonction utilisée pour former une question indirecte après certains verbes comme demander, dire, savoir, ignorer, etc., marquant le doute, l’interrogation.
  7. 7
    Si oui ou non. Note d’usage : Conjonction utilisée pour former une question indirecte après certains verbes comme demander, dire, savoir, ignorer, etc., marquant le doute, l’interrogation.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how si appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Si j’étais riche, je m’achèterais une maison.
  2. Je vous donnerai tant, si vous faites ce que vous m’avez promis.

This word in other languages

if(English)si(Español)wenn(Deutsch)se(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "si"?
"si" is spelled S-I. The IPA pronunciation is \si\.
What does "si" mean?
As a conjunction, "si" means: Dans le cas où, à condition que, supposé que. Note d’usage : Conjonction qui introduit une condition (suivie d’une conséquence) ou une supposition qui peut être supprimée en utilisant un conditionnel.
What words are commonly confused with "si"?
"si" is commonly confused with "st", "su", "so". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "si"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "si" is \si\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "si" come from?
"si" is a French word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list