Which to use
“magma” and “magus” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #22,735
- “magma” frequency rank
- #46,600
- “magus” frequency rank
- 69335
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | magma | magus |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A mixture of molten silicate rock, crystals, and gas within the earth, which may be erupted as lava or cool in place to form igneous intrusions. | A magician; (derogatory) a conjurer or sorcerer, especially one who is a charlatan or trickster. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set magma and magus apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. magma (/ˈmæɡ.mə/) and magus (/ˈmeɪɡəs/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 69335, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
magma is recorded at frequency rank #22,735, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈmæɡ.mə/. magus is at rank #46,600, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈmeɪɡəs/.
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 69335, this pair ranks #55,016 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of magma vs magus
Shared letters: agm. Private to "magma": -. Private to "magus": su.
"magma" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV · "magus" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "magma" and "magus" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "magma" or "magus"?
Remembering magma vs magus
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 “magma” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable