MailsvsMeileWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“Mails” and “Meile” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#4,633
“Mails” frequency rank
#15,698
“Meile” frequency rank
20331
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Mails Meile
Definition Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Mail Längenmaß in der Größenordnung von 1 bis 11 Kilometer, früher in Deutschland und Österreich etwa 7,5 Kilometer entsprechend, noch heute offiziell im Vereinigten Königreich und in den Vereinigten Staaten (1,609 Kilometer) sowie inoffiziell noch in Norwegen und Schweden (10 Kilometer)

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Mails and Meile apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
Mails
5 ch
Meile

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

Mails and Meile form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 20331, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Mails is recorded at frequency rank #4,633, classified as anoun, pronounced [mɛɪ̯ls]. Meile is at rank #15,698, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈmaɪ̯lə].

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 20331, this pair ranks #1,898,852 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

Mails#4,633
Meile#15,698

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Mails" and "Meile" be used interchangeably?
No, "Mails" and "Meile" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering Mails vs Meile

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Mails” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list