Which to use
“sci” and “som” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #29,904
- “sci” frequency rank
- #1,134
- “som” frequency rank
- 31038
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | sci | som |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | esqui, placa geralmente de madeira para deslizar na água ou na neve | onda longitudinal transmitida pela matéria e que podemos ouvir (geralmente entre 20Hz e 20kHz): |
Where the eye mixes sci and som
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Why the eye confuses sci with som
A purely visual mix-up. sci (/ˈʃi/) and som (/ˈsõ/) 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 31038, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
sci is recorded at frequency rank #29,904, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈʃi/. som is at rank #1,134, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈsõ/.
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 31038, this pair ranks #37,175 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of sci vs som
Shared letters: s. Private to "sci": ci. Private to "som": mo.
"sci" · 3 letters · shape CCV · "som" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "sci" for "som" ever safe?
Which is more common, "sci" or "som"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "sci" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "som" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #37,175 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "sci" and "som" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Sau vs sci". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #37,175 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.