Which to use
“sec” and “spi” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,897
- “sec” frequency rank
- #49,369
- “spi” frequency rank
- 52266
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | sec | spi |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Qui a peu ou pas d’humidité. | Spirituel (au sens religieux). |
Where the eye mixes sec and spi
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between sec and spi
A purely visual mix-up. sec (\sɛk\) 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 52266, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
sec is recorded at frequency rank #2,897, classified as anadj, pronounced \sɛk\. 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 52266, this pair ranks #148,902 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of sec vs spi
Shared letters: s. Private to "sec": ce. Private to "spi": ip.
"sec" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "spi" · 3 letters · shape CCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "sec" for "spi" ever safe?
Frequency check: "sec" vs "spi" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "sec" and "spi" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "sec" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "spi" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #148,902 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "sec" and "spi" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "spi vs suu". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #148,902 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.