Wondering whether per se or per say is the correct spelling? The correct phrase is per se, a Latin phrase meaning by itself or in itself. Although both versions sound alike when spoken aloud, per say is a common misspelling caused by sound-to-spelling confusion. Understanding the per se meaning helps you use this phrase with confidence in everyday English.
In English grammar, per se acts as an adverb and shows that something stands alone, without outside factors or additional context. For example, a rule may not be unfair per se, but its application could be unfair. This guide explains per se vs per say, shares practical example sentences, and covers common mistakes. You will also learn when to use per se and how to improve writing clarity.
Quick Answer
Per se is correct. Per say is incorrect when you mean “by itself” or “in itself.”
The phrase per se comes from Latin. Dictionaries define it with meanings such as “by itself,” “in itself,” “as such,” and “intrinsically.” Merriam-Webster’s recorded definition likewise traces the phrase to Latin and gives meanings centered on something being considered in itself.
| Form | Correct? | Meaning | Example |
| per se | Yes | By itself; in itself | “The idea isn’t bad per se.” |
| per say | No | Common phonetic misspelling | “The idea isn’t bad per say.” |
Here’s the easiest rule to remember:
If you mean “in itself,” write “per se.”
The word say has nothing to do with the phrase’s meaning. It appears in the mistaken version because the phrase’s pronunciation resembles the English verb say.
What does “per se” mean?
Consider this sentence:
“The price isn’t unreasonable per se.”
The speaker isn’t necessarily saying the price is reasonable in every circumstance. Instead, the speaker is separating the price itself from other factors.
Perhaps the product costs $200. That price might be reasonable given its quality. However, shipping could make the purchase unattractive.
In that context, per se means something close to “the thing itself, considered separately.”
Cambridge gives a similar distinction in its examples. It explains that something can be considered independently from surrounding circumstances.
Comparison Overview
The difference between per se and per say is straightforward once you separate pronunciation from spelling.
| Feature | Per se | Per say |
| Standard English expression | Yes | No |
| Origin | Latin | Phonetic spelling error |
| Basic meaning | By itself; in itself | None as an alternative to per se |
| Pronunciation | Usually like “per SAY” | Same intended pronunciation |
| Used in American English | Yes | No as the standard phrase |
| Used in formal writing | Yes | No |
| Used in conversation | Yes | Yes only as a spoken sound |
| Used in texting | Yes | Often appears as a misspelling |
| Can modify an idea being considered alone | Yes | No |
| Recommended spelling | per se | Avoid |
One detail deserves attention: the pronunciation doesn’t tell you the spelling here.
Cambridge gives the U.S. pronunciation as /pɝː ˈseɪ/. That final sound matches the English word say, which explains why the misspelling feels plausible.
Written English doesn’t always follow sound perfectly. English contains countless examples where pronunciation and spelling diverge. Per se is simply an especially noticeable case because its second word resembles a familiar English word.
Main Differences Between Per Se and Per Say
The biggest difference is that per se is an established phrase while per say is not an alternative spelling of it.
Per se is a Latin expression
Per se comes from Latin and literally carries the idea of something being considered by itself or through itself. Reference works trace the expression to Latin and record it in English with meanings such as “by, of, or in itself” and “intrinsically.”
Per say comes from the sound
People generally write per say because they learned the expression by hearing it.
Someone hears:
“That isn’t a problem per say.”
They may reasonably assume the final word is the familiar English verb say.
That assumption creates the spelling error.
The two forms don’t represent two meanings
This isn’t like affect and effect, where both words are legitimate but perform different jobs.
It isn’t like advice and advise either.
Instead, the situation is much simpler:
- per se = established phrase
- per say = common misspelling of that phrase
That distinction makes proofreading easy.
What Does “Per Se” Mean?
At its core, per se means “in itself.”
Depending on the sentence, you can usually understand it as one of these:
- by itself
- in itself
- as such
- intrinsically
- considered on its own
These meanings overlap, though they aren’t interchangeable in every sentence.
“In itself”
“The rule isn’t unfair per se.”
This means the rule itself isn’t necessarily unfair. The speaker may object to how someone applies it or to another consequence surrounding it.
“By itself”
“The ingredient isn’t harmful per se.”
The ingredient isn’t being judged as harmful simply because it exists. Other factors may determine whether it causes a problem.
“As such”
“She wasn’t angry per se. She was disappointed.”
Here per se helps the speaker make a finer distinction. The person’s emotional reaction doesn’t fit neatly into the first label.
“Intrinsically”
“Competition isn’t bad per se.”
The sentence focuses on competition’s inherent nature rather than every situation involving competition.
That subtle distinction is one reason the phrase remains useful. Per se allows a speaker to qualify a statement without completely withdrawing it.
How “Per Se” Works in a Sentence
Once you understand the meaning, the grammar becomes much easier.
In everyday English, per se often follows the noun, noun phrase, or idea being discussed.
For example:
“The technology isn’t dangerous per se.”
Here, technology is the subject under discussion. The phrase qualifies the judgment about that technology.
Another example:
“I’m not against remote work per se.”
The speaker isn’t opposing remote work itself. The objection may concern communication, management, scheduling, or another factor.
A common sentence pattern
One of the most useful patterns looks like this:
[Thing being discussed] + isn’t/isn’t necessarily + [description] + per se.
Examples:
- “The restaurant isn’t expensive per se.”
- “The assignment wasn’t difficult per se.”
- “The movie wasn’t boring per se.”
- “The policy isn’t unreasonable per se.”
- “The software isn’t complicated per se.”
This construction works because per se narrows the scope of the statement.
It tells the reader, “I’m talking about this thing considered on its own.”
Per Se in Everyday Conversation
Although per se has a somewhat formal flavor, people use it in ordinary conversation.
You might hear:
“I don’t dislike the job per se. I just hate the commute.”
The sentence communicates a distinction efficiently. The job itself isn’t necessarily the problem. The commute is.
Another example:
“It’s not expensive per se. There are just cheaper options.”
Again, the speaker isn’t making an absolute claim about price. The speaker is comparing the item with alternatives.
Here are more natural examples:
- “I don’t hate the city per se. I just don’t like driving there.”
- “The food wasn’t bad per se. It just wasn’t memorable.”
- “He’s not rude per se. He’s just very direct.”
- “The class isn’t difficult per se. There’s simply a lot of reading.”
- “The app isn’t confusing per se. Some of the menus aren’t intuitive.”
- “I’m not opposed to the idea per se.”
That last example is particularly common because per se works well when someone wants to separate an idea from its implementation.
Read More: Roll Call or Role Call: Which Spelling Is Correct?
Per Se Examples in Different Situations
The best way to understand the phrase is to see how it behaves across different contexts.
Opinions and preferences
“I don’t dislike spicy food per se. I just can’t eat it every day.”
The speaker doesn’t reject spicy food itself. The problem involves frequency.
Work
“The workload isn’t difficult per se. The deadlines are the real problem.”
The work may be manageable. The timing creates the difficulty.
Relationships
“The disagreement wasn’t serious per se. It revealed a bigger issue.”
The disagreement itself wasn’t necessarily severe. Its implications mattered more.
Money
“The laptop isn’t overpriced per se. The older model offers better value.”
The speaker isn’t declaring the laptop objectively overpriced. The comparison changes the judgment.
Technology
“The software isn’t complicated per se. Its interface makes it feel complicated.”
This distinction separates the underlying technology from the user experience.
Entertainment
“The movie wasn’t boring per se. It was simply slower than I expected.”
The speaker avoids making a blanket judgment about the entire film.
Education
“The exam wasn’t difficult per se. The time limit made it stressful.”
Again, the phrase isolates the exam’s inherent difficulty from the conditions surrounding it.
Why Do People Write “Per Say”?
The answer is mostly phonetic.
When people encounter an unfamiliar expression in speech, they often construct a spelling based on familiar words. Per se creates a perfect opportunity for that mistake because its final syllable sounds like the English word say.
Cambridge’s American pronunciation confirms the source of the confusion: the phrase is pronounced with a final /seɪ/ sound.
Imagine hearing this sentence without seeing it written:
“The policy isn’t unreasonable per se.”
Someone unfamiliar with Latin expressions could easily imagine the spelling per say.
That doesn’t make the spelling acceptable. It simply explains why the error happens.
Speech-to-text can reinforce the mistake
Digital tools can make the confusion even more noticeable.
When someone dictates a sentence containing an unfamiliar expression, transcription software may interpret the sound according to common English vocabulary. A person who doesn’t recognize the written form might accept the result without checking it.
The same process can happen with texting.
Sound-based learning creates the mistake. Visual familiarity prevents it.
Once you’ve seen per se often enough, the correct spelling becomes automatic.
Common Mistakes With “Per Se”
Knowing the spelling solves only part of the problem. The phrase also gets misused.
Mistake 1: Writing “per say”
Incorrect:
“The product isn’t bad per say.”
Correct:
“The product isn’t bad per se.”
This is the central spelling mistake.
Mistake 2: Treating “per se” as “personally”
Incorrect interpretation:
“Per se, I don’t like the restaurant.”
If the intended meaning is “Personally, I don’t like the restaurant,” then per se doesn’t work.
A better sentence would be:
“Personally, I don’t like the restaurant.”
Per se doesn’t mean “personally.”
Mistake 3: Using it to mean “basically”
Sometimes writers use per se as a vague filler word.
For example:
“Per se, the project needs more work.”
That sentence doesn’t clearly express the phrase’s actual meaning.
A clearer version might be:
“Basically, the project needs more work.”
Or:
“The project itself needs more work.”
The distinction matters because per se has a specific semantic job. It identifies something considered in itself.
Mistake 4: Overusing the phrase
A sentence can technically contain per se while still sounding unnatural.
Consider:
“The new menu isn’t bad per se, but the restaurant isn’t great per se, and the service isn’t slow per se.”
The reader quickly gets tired of it.
Better writing varies the wording:
“The new menu isn’t bad. The restaurant itself has potential, although the service still needs work.”
Good writing isn’t about squeezing sophisticated phrases into every paragraph. It is about choosing the clearest expression for the thought.
Per Se vs. “By Itself”
These expressions overlap, but they don’t always produce the same tone.
| Phrase | Typical effect | Example |
| per se | Precise, analytical, somewhat formal | “The policy isn’t harmful per se.” |
| by itself | Plain and conversational | “The policy isn’t harmful by itself.” |
| in itself | Neutral and explanatory | “The policy isn’t harmful in itself.” |
| as such | Formal and context-dependent | “The policy isn’t harmful as such.” |
| intrinsically | More technical or academic | “The policy isn’t intrinsically harmful.” |
For everyday conversation, by itself or in itself can sound more natural.
For analytical writing, per se often fits neatly.
Neither choice is automatically better. The right choice depends on the audience and sentence.
Per Se vs. Similar Expressions
Several phrases can resemble per se without having exactly the same function.
Per se vs. in itself
These are often close substitutes.
“The rule isn’t unfair per se.”
“The rule isn’t unfair in itself.”
Both sentences focus attention on the rule considered independently.
Per se vs. by itself
By itself can also mean without assistance or without another person.
For example:
“She completed the project by herself.”
You generally wouldn’t replace by herself with per se.
That would change the meaning completely.
Per se vs. intrinsically
Intrinsically emphasizes an inherent quality.
“The material isn’t intrinsically dangerous.”
That sentence focuses strongly on the material’s inherent properties.
Per se can make a similar point, though its broader function involves considering something on its own.
Per se vs. specifically
These aren’t synonyms.
“I don’t object to the rule per se.”
This means the rule itself isn’t the objection.
“I don’t object to this rule specifically.”
This means the speaker isn’t singling out this particular rule.
The second sentence concerns which rule. The first concerns the rule considered in itself.
Is “Per Say” Ever Correct?
When you’re trying to express the meaning “by itself” or “in itself,” the answer is no.
Use:
per se
Don’t use:
per say
The mistaken version doesn’t become correct because the conversation is casual. Text messages can contain slang, abbreviations, and intentional misspellings. However, per say remains a misspelling when it is intended to represent the Latin expression.
This matters in professional emails, essays, reports, applications, articles, and other edited writing.
A useful proofreading habit is simple:
If the phrase means “in itself,” check that the final word is spelled se.
How to Pronounce “Per Se”
The spelling can look unfamiliar even though the pronunciation is straightforward.
Cambridge gives the American English pronunciation as /pɝː ˈseɪ/.
The phrase is therefore pronounced approximately like “per SAY.”
That pronunciation explains the spelling trap.
Notice the crucial distinction:
- Pronunciation: sounds like “per say”
- Spelling: per se
This is one of those cases where English pronunciation doesn’t provide enough information to reconstruct the written form.
The final word is se, not say.
Should “Per Se” Be Italicized?
You’ll sometimes see per se written in italics because it comes from Latin.
Modern English usage doesn’t require writers to treat every Latin expression as though it were still a foreign-language quotation. Many Latin expressions have become familiar parts of English.
In practical writing, consistency matters more than decorative formatting.
If a particular publication, academic institution, or style guide has a rule about italicizing Latin expressions, follow that house style.
For ordinary online writing, per se in standard roman type is widely understandable.
The important issue is spelling rather than typography.
Does “Per Se” Need a Comma?
Per se does not automatically require a comma.
Punctuation depends on the sentence.
Correct:
“The idea isn’t bad per se.”
Correct:
“The product itself isn’t expensive per se.”
You may also see the phrase surrounded by commas when the writer uses it parenthetically:
“The problem, per se, isn’t the price.”
However, the commas aren’t required simply because the phrase is per se.
Compare these:
“The design isn’t flawed per se.”
“The design, per se, isn’t the issue.”
The second sentence treats the phrase more like an interrupting modifier. The punctuation reflects that structure.
Don’t memorize a comma rule for the phrase itself. Analyze the sentence.
Is “Per Se” Formal or Informal?
Cambridge labels per se as an adverb and marks it as formal in its dictionary entry.
Still, that doesn’t mean ordinary speakers avoid it.
You’ll encounter the expression in:
- Academic writing
- Journalism
- Business communication
- Legal language
- Professional discussions
- Everyday conversation
- Text messages
- Online discussions
Its tone often depends on the surrounding vocabulary.
Compare:
“I don’t hate the job per se. I hate waking up at 5 a.m.”
That sounds perfectly conversational.
Now compare:
“The statutory framework does not constitute an infringement per se.”
That sentence sounds much more formal because the surrounding vocabulary is legal and technical.
The phrase itself doesn’t determine the entire tone. Context does.
Per Se in Formal Writing
The phrase works particularly well when a writer needs to make a careful distinction.
Academic and professional writing often deals with concepts that cannot be judged in isolation.
For example:
“The use of automation is not problematic per se. Its effects depend on how organizations deploy it.”
That construction distinguishes the technology itself from its implementation.
A similar pattern appears in analytical writing:
“The decline in revenue wasn’t caused by the product per se. Distribution costs had increased.”
The writer identifies a specific object of discussion and separates it from surrounding causes.
That precision makes per se useful when used sparingly.
Per Se in Legal Language
The expression has a specialized role in legal terminology.
Legal dictionaries use per se in senses involving something being inherently or categorically characterized in a particular way. FindLaw’s legal dictionary, drawing on Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law, gives examples involving concepts such as negligence per se and nuisance per se.
The legal use can be more technical than the everyday meaning.
For example, negligence per se isn’t simply another way of saying “negligence by itself.” It refers to a specific legal doctrine.
Likewise, legal phrases such as per se rule have specialized meanings.
This is an important point for readers who encounter the expression in contracts, court decisions, legal articles, or regulatory material:
Don’t assume every technical use has exactly the same practical meaning as everyday “in itself.”
The Latin phrase provides the foundation. The legal field builds specialized terminology around it.
A Practical Case Study: Why “Per Se” Adds Meaning
Consider this exchange:
Person A: “Is the new policy unfair?”
Person B: “The policy isn’t unfair per se. The problem is how managers are applying it.”
That answer does more than say “no.”
It separates two questions:
- Is the policy itself inherently unfair?
- Can its implementation produce unfair results?
Without per se, the response could sound broader than intended.
Now consider a different version:
“The policy isn’t unfair. Managers are applying it badly.”
This is shorter. It may also be perfectly good writing.
The per se version becomes useful when the speaker wants to emphasize the distinction between the thing itself and what surrounds it.
That’s the real value of the phrase.
How to Remember “Per Se” Correctly
The easiest memory trick is semantic rather than visual.
Think:
per se = in itself
Then remember that se belongs to the original Latin expression.
You don’t need a complicated mnemonic.
When writing, ask yourself:
Am I trying to say “by itself,” “in itself,” or “as such”?
If the answer is yes, write:
per se
Not:
per say
This method works because it connects spelling to meaning instead of relying on pronunciation.
Per Se in Text Messages and Social Media
Casual writing doesn’t change the correct spelling.
You can absolutely use per se in a text message:
“I don’t mind the idea per se.”
“It’s not expensive per se.”
“I’m not against it per se.”
However, you don’t have to use it simply because it sounds sophisticated.
Sometimes the most natural text is:
“I don’t mind the idea itself.”
Or:
“It’s not really expensive.”
Or:
“I’m not against it exactly.”
The best response depends on what you want to sound like.
Clear beats fancy. Natural beats forced.
If you’re chatting with a friend, a simpler phrase may fit the conversation better. If you’re explaining a nuanced distinction, per se can do the job neatly.
Quick Reference: Per Se or Per Say
| Question | Answer |
| Which is correct? | Per se |
| Is “per say” correct? | No, not as the standard expression |
| What does “per se” mean? | By itself; in itself; as such |
| What language does it come from? | Latin |
| How is it pronounced in American English? | Approximately “per SAY” |
| Why is it often misspelled? | Its pronunciation resembles “say” |
| Can it be used in conversation? | Yes |
| Can it be used in formal writing? | Yes |
| Does it mean “personally”? | No |
| Does it mean “basically”? | No |
| Does it always require commas? | No |
| Is “per se” usually two words? | Yes |
| Is “per say” an accepted variant? | No |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it per se or per say?
Per se or per say has one correct answer: per se is the correct spelling. Per say is a common misspelling because both forms sound alike.
What does per se mean in simple English?
The per se meaning is “by itself” or “in itself.” This Latin phrase helps show that something is being judged on its own, apart from other factors.
Is per say ever correct?
No, not when you mean per se. If you want to say “in itself,” always use per se, even in casual writing or text messages.
How do you use per se in a sentence?
Use per se after the thing you are describing. For example, “The job isn’t difficult per se. The deadlines are the real problem.” This example sentence shows how the phrase separates the job from other factors.
Is per se formal, and does it need a comma?
Per se often sounds formal, but you can use it in everyday English and professional writing. It does not always need a comma because punctuation depends on the sentence.
Final Takeaway
In short, per se or per say has a clear answer: per se is the correct spelling of this Latin phrase, meaning “by itself” or “in itself.” Although per say is a common misspelling because of its pronunciation, the right form is easy to remember. Use per se when you want to judge something on its own, apart from other factors.
