A semiconductor light emitting element includes an n-type light guide layer containing a group III nitride semiconductor, an active layer, and a p-type light guide layer, in which the n-type light guide layer includes a semiconductor superlattice layer which is a stack of superlattice layers, the semiconductor superlattice layer having a structure in which group III nitride semiconductors A and group III nitride semiconductors B are alternately stacked, each of the semiconductors A and each of the semiconductors B being stacked in each of the superlattice layers, a relationship Eg (A)>Eg (B) holds, the semiconductor A is a film containing AlInN, and the film contains oxygen (O) at a concentration of at least 1×1018 cm−3, the semiconductor A has a film thickness of at most 5 nm, and a current is injected in a stacking direction of the superlattice layers.