P vs. S — What's the Difference?

Often used in logos for its strong, balanced lines.

Used in logos for its curvy shape that flows.

Can indicate politeness or permission in abbreviations.

Symbol for entropy.

The 16th letter of the English alphabet.

Represents a voiceless alveolar sibilant.

Symbol for probability.

The 19th letter of the English alphabet.

Represents a voiceless bilabial plosive.

Marks plurals and present tense verbs.

P, or p, is the sixteenth letter of the modern English alphabet and the ISO basic Latin alphabet. Its name in English is pee (pronounced ), plural pees.

S, or s, is the nineteenth letter in the Modern English alphabet and the ISO basic Latin alphabet. Its name in English is ess (pronounced ), plural esses.

The 16th letter of the modern English alphabet.

The nineteenth letter of the alphabet.

Any of the speech sounds represented by the letter p.

A shape like that of a capital S

The 16th in a series.

The 19th letter of the modern English alphabet.

Something shaped like the letter P.

Any of the speech sounds represented by the letter s.

P A hypothesized textual source of certain portions of the Pentateuch that have a formulaic style, contain genealogical lists and descriptions of rituals, and use the name "Elohim" to refer to God.

The 19th in a series.

Abbr of postmeaning after

Something shaped like the letter S.

Abbreviation of per

(metrology) scruple {{qualifier}}

(stenoscript) up

(physics) strange quark

Alternative form of|en|p.}}; {{abbr of page(plural pp)

Alternative form of s.

(UK) penny; pence

The nineteenth letter of the English alphabet, is a consonant, and is often called a sibilant, in allusion to its hissing sound. It has two principal sounds; one a mere hissing, as in sack, this; the other a vocal hissing (the same as that of z), as in is, wise. Besides these it sometimes has the sounds of sh and zh, as in sure, measure. It generally has its hissing sound at the beginning of words, but in the middle and at the end of words its sound is determined by usage. In a few words it is silent, as in isle, débris. With the letter h it forms the digraph sh. See Guide to pronunciation, 255-261.

(physics) proton

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

(video compression) progressive scan

An abundant tasteless odorless multivalent nonmetallic element; best known in yellow crystals; occurs in many sulphide and sulphate minerals and even in native form (especially in volcanic regions)

Abbr of pee

The cardinal compass point that is at 180 degrees

(knitting) purl

A unit of conductance equal to the reciprocal of an ohm

(Internet) pretty

The 19th letter of the Roman alphabet

Alternative spelling of p.m.

(thermodynamics) a thermodynamic quantity representing the amount of energy in a system that is no longer available for doing mechanical work;

The sixteenth letter of the English alphabet, is a nonvocal consonant whose form and value come from the Latin, into which language the letter was brought, through the ancient Greek, from the Phœnician, its probable origin being Egyptian. Etymologically P is most closely related to b, f, and v; as hobble, hopple; father, paternal; recipient, receive. See B, F, and M.

A multivalent nonmetallic element of the nitrogen family that occurs commonly in inorganic phosphate rocks and as organic phosphates in all living cells; is highly reactive and occurs in several allotropic forms

The 16th letter of the Roman alphabet

Yes, non-native speakers often struggle with the bilabial plosive sound of "P", which might sound like a "B" if voiced, and the sibilant "S" can be confused with "SH" or "Z" sounds.

Positioning can affect pronunciation; for example, "P" at the start of a word is usually aspirated in English, changing its sound. For "S", position can indicate grammatical features, like pluralization or tense.

Historically, both letters have evolved in their pronunciation and usage, with "P" losing its aspiration in some linguistic contexts and "S" sometimes shifting towards or away from "SH" sounds in various languages.

"P" can appear at the beginning, middle, or end of words, while "S" is more versatile, appearing in all these positions and also commonly as a connecting letter in compound words.

"P" adds sharp, explosive sounds to language, enhancing phonetic diversity with its unique bilabial plosive quality. "S", with its sibilant property, contributes a range of hissing and soft sounds.

For "P", example words include 'pin', 'apple', and 'happy'. For "S", examples are 'soft', 'pass', and 'misses'.

"P" is associated with plosive, aspirated sounds in certain languages, while "S" is crucial in sibilant sounds and is often involved in linguistic phenomena like alliteration.

In branding, "P" is valued for its strong, balanced appearance, suitable for strong brand identities. "S" is favored for its fluid, dynamic form, often used in more creative and flowing brand logos.

"P" can start a syllable or appear at the end, as in 'paper' or 'cap'. "S" can start a syllable, appear in the middle, or end a syllable, significantly in plural and third-person singular present tense forms.

Common mistakes include reversing the letters in writing or confusing "P" with similar-looking letters like "B" or "D", and "S" with "C" or "5", especially in cursive or stylized fonts.

"P" and "S" are pivotal in poetic devices like alliteration, with "P" providing a punchy, percussive rhythm and "S" offering a softer, hissing resonance, both enhancing the auditory quality of poetry and prose.

The sound of "P", being abrupt and sharp, can grab attention and signify strength or precision. The sibilant "S", however, often has a soothing or softening effect, influencing the emotional tone of words.

Typographically, "P" needs clear differentiation from similar shapes like "B" and "R", while "S" requires careful design to maintain its fluidity and readability, especially in serif and script fonts.

Children learn to pronounce "P" by mastering the bilabial closure and release, while "S" requires control over airflow and tongue placement, often learned slightly later due to its complexity.

Not all writing systems have direct equivalents to "P" and "S". For example, some Semitic languages use different structures for similar sounds, and some Asian languages integrate these sounds differently in their syllabaries or scripts.