Which to use
“feo” is an adjective and “fil” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,556
- “feo” frequency rank
- #38,124
- “fil” frequency rank
- 41680
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | feo | fil |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Que carece de belleza o hermosura. | Elefante. |
Where the eye mixes feo and fil
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between feo and fil
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: feo is [ˈfeo] while fil is [ˈfil]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 41680, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
feo is recorded at frequency rank #3,556, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈfeo]. fil is at rank #38,124, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈfil].
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 41680, this pair ranks #152,310 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of feo vs fil
Shared letters: f. Private to "feo": eo. Private to "fil": il.
"feo" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "fil" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "feo" and "fil" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "feo" or "fil" show up more?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "feo" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "fil" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #152,310 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "feo" and "fil" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "fil vs filos". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #152,310 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.