Which to use
“fil” and “fra” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #38,124
- “fil” frequency rank
- #22,703
- “fra” frequency rank
- 60827
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fil | fra |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Elefante. | Fray (antes de un nombre propio). |
Where the eye mixes fil and fra
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence. fil (CVC) and fra (CCV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Visual trap between fil and fra
A purely visual mix-up. fil ([ˈfil]) and fra ([ˈfɾa]) 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 60827, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
fil is recorded at frequency rank #38,124, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈfil]. fra is at rank #22,703, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈfɾa].
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 60827, this pair ranks #57,571 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of fil vs fra
Shared letters: f. Private to "fil": il. Private to "fra": ar.
"fil" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "fra" · 3 letters · shape CCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "fil" and "fra" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "fil" or "fra" show up more?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "fil" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "fra" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #57,571 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "fil" and "fra" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "fil vs filos". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #57,571 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.