Which to use
“shi” and “sic” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #25,143
- “shi” frequency rank
- #7,836
- “sic” frequency rank
- 32979
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | shi | sic |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | exatamente; precisamente | assim |
Where the eye mixes shi and sic
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between shi and sic
A purely visual mix-up. shi (/ˈʃiː/) and sic (/siːk/) 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 32979, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
shi is recorded at frequency rank #25,143, classified as anadv, pronounced /ˈʃiː/. sic is at rank #7,836, tagged as anadv, pronounced /siːk/.
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 32979, this pair ranks #34,665 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of shi vs sic
Shared letters: is. Private to "shi": h. Private to "sic": c.
"shi" · 3 letters · shape CCV · "sic" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "shi" and "sic" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "shi" or "sic"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "shi" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "sic" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #34,665 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "shi" and "sic" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Sau vs shi". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #34,665 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.