# main vs marlin

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### main
*adjective · IPA /meɪn/ · frequency rank #574*
Of chief or leading importance; prime, principal.

### marlin
*noun · IPA /ˈmɑɹ.lɪn/ · frequency rank #28,616*
Any species of game fish belonging to either of the genera Tetrapturus or Makaira, with a crested dorsal fin and a pointed, spear-like projection of the upper jaw.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/main-vs-marlin