Which to use
“são” and “spi” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #20,584
- “são” frequency rank
- #49,369
- “spi” frequency rank
- 69953
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | são | spi |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Sain. | Spirituel (au sens religieux). |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set são and spi apart are highlighted. They share 1 letter in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. são (\sˈɐ̃w\) and spi (\spi\) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 69953, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
são is recorded at frequency rank #20,584, classified as anadj, pronounced \sˈɐ̃w\. spi is at rank #49,369, tagged as anadj, pronounced \spi\.
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 69953, this pair ranks #53,194 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of são vs spi
Shared letters: s. Private to "são": oã. Private to "spi": ip.
"são" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "spi" · 3 letters · shape CCV
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "são" and "spi" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "são" or "spi"?
Remembering são vs spi
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 “são” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable