filialvsfilialesWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“filial” and “filiales” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#10,854
“filial” frequency rank
#20,685
“filiales” frequency rank
31539
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature filial filiales
Definition Relativo al hijo. Forma del plural de filial.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set filial and filiales apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
filial
8 ch
filiales

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. filial ([fiˈljal]) and filiales ([fiˈljales]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “filial” sits inside “filiales”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 31539, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

filial is recorded at frequency rank #10,854, classified as anadj, pronounced [fiˈljal]. filiales is at rank #20,685, tagged as anadj, pronounced [fiˈljales].

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 31539, this pair ranks #206,592 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of filial vs filiales

Shared letters: afil. Private to "filial": -. Private to "filiales": es.

"filial" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC  ·  "filiales" · 8 letters · shape CVCVVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • filialffilial · fiilal · filail · filiall · filila · fillial · fliial · iflial
  • filialesffiliales · fiilales · filailes · filiaels · filialess · filialles · filialse · fililaes

Frequency comparison

filial#10,854
filiales#20,685

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "filial" and "filiales" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([fiˈljal] versus [fiˈljales]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "filial" or "filiales"?
"filial" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #10,854 in our Spanish list, against #20,685 for "filiales". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering filial vs filiales

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 “filial” 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