The correct spelling is per se, not per say. This Latin phrase means “by itself” or “in itself,” and it’s used to talk about something on its own, apart from everything else around it.
Per say is simply a misspelling that happens because of how the phrase sounds out loud.
What Does Per Se Mean?
Per se comes straight from Latin. Per means “by” or “through,” and se means “itself.” Put together, you get “by itself” — a phrase used to isolate one quality of something from everything else going on around it.
Writers reach for per se when they want to say something is true on its own, separate from context. It’s a small phrase, but it carries a lot of precision.
How to Pronounce Per Se
You say per se as “per-say.” That’s the whole problem in a nutshell — the pronunciation and the misspelling sound identical.
Linguists call this kind of error an eggcorn, where a word or phrase gets respelled to match how it sounds rather than where it came from.
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Why Per Say Is Incorrect
Per say isn’t a word. It has no dictionary entry, no Latin root, and no grammatical job to do in a sentence. It’s a phonetic slip — nothing more.
Merriam-Webster and Oxford don’t list it. Grammar checkers flag it instantly. There’s no formal or informal setting where “per say” becomes acceptable.
Is Per Say Ever Correct?
No. Not in casual texts, not in emails, not in academic papers. There’s one narrow exception worth knowing: sometimes “per” and “say” appear as two separate words in a sentence, like “we could charge per, say, square foot.” That’s not the Latin phrase at all — it’s just “per” plus the word “say” used to introduce an example.
How to Use Per Se in a Sentence
Per se works best right after the idea it’s modifying, often set off with commas. It softens a statement or narrows the focus to one specific quality.
Use it when you want to say something isn’t a problem on its own, even if other factors complicate things.
| Incorrect | Correct |
|---|---|
| The plan isn’t bad per say. | The plan isn’t bad per se. |
| I don’t dislike mornings per say. | I don’t dislike mornings per se. |
| There’s no rule per say against it. | There’s no rule per se against it. |
Per Se in Legal, Business & Academic Writing
Per se shows up constantly in legal writing. “Negligence per se” means an act is automatically treated as negligent because it broke a law, no extra proof needed.
Courts and contracts use this phrase to draw a hard line around intent versus outcome.
In business writing, people use it to soften pushback:
“The design isn’t the issue per se — the user flow needs work.”
Academic writers use it the same way, isolating one variable from a bigger, messier picture.
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Per Se in Professional & Workplace Writing
Small spelling errors carry weight in professional settings. Writing per say in an email or report can quietly signal carelessness, even when the rest of your message is sharp and well-argued.
Before sending anything formal, it helps to run a quick gut check on the phrase.
Common Workplace Email Mistakes
Here’s a real pattern seen across countless emails and reports:
- “I don’t have a problem with the proposal per say” → should read per se
- “It’s not the budget per say, it’s the timeline” → should read per se
- Autocorrect tools often miss this error entirely, so spell-check alone won’t save you
Quick Self-Check Before You Hit Send
Try swapping in “in itself” or “inherently” wherever you’ve written per se. If the sentence still makes sense, you’ve used it correctly — and you now know the spelling has to stay Latin, not phonetic.
Per Se Synonyms & Alternatives
Sometimes per se feels too formal or stiff for the sentence you’re writing. Plenty of everyday alternatives carry the same meaning without the Latin flavor.
Formal Alternatives to Per Se
| Synonym | Example |
|---|---|
| Inherently | The method isn’t inherently flawed. |
| Intrinsically | The material is intrinsically safe. |
| In itself | The idea, in itself, is sound. |
| As such | The rule, as such, doesn’t apply here. |
| Essentially | The policy is essentially unchanged. |
When to Use a Synonym Instead
Reach for a synonym when per se starts feeling repetitive or when your writing calls for a plainer tone. Legal and academic writing tend to keep the Latin form; everyday writing often reads better with “inherently” or “by itself.”
Final Takeaway
Per se is correct, per say is not. The phrase means “by itself,” comes from Latin, and keeps its original spelling no matter how it sounds out loud. Once you know the trick — swap in “inherently” to test it — you’ll never second-guess this one again.
FAQs — Per Se or Per Say
Is it per se or per say?
It’s always per se. “Per say” is a common misspelling based purely on pronunciation.
What does per se mean?
Per se means “by itself” or “in itself,” used to isolate something from outside context.
Is per say ever correct in any context?
No. It has no recognized meaning in English or Latin as a standalone phrase.
Where does per se come from?
It comes from Latin — per (“by”) plus se (“itself”) — used in English since at least the 1500s.
Is per se formal or casual?
It leans formal, common in legal, academic, and professional writing, though it fits casual speech too.
Is there a comma before or after per se?
Often yes, when it’s used parenthetically, like “The idea, per se, isn’t the problem.” One regional note: British style guides sometimes skip the commas that US style guides tend to include.
Can a sentence start with per se?
Yes, though it’s rare. “Per se, the method works” is grammatically fine and used mainly for emphasis.
Hi, I’m John Henry, the voice behind Grammar Nudge. I make grammar simple and easy to understand, from basic rules to advanced writing tips. Clear explanations. Practical examples. No confusion.
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