Which to use
“filial” is an adjective and “filma” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #10,854
- “filial” frequency rank
- #33,608
- “filma” frequency rank
- 44462
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | filial | filma |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Relativo al hijo. | Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de filmar. |
Where the eye mixes filial and filma
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. filial runs 6 letters (CVCVVC) against filma's 5 (CVCCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses filial with filma
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: filial is [fiˈljal] while filma is [ˈfilma]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 44462, 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]. filma is at rank #33,608, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈfilma].
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 44462, this pair ranks #136,927 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of filial vs filma
Shared letters: afil. Private to "filial": -. Private to "filma": m.
"filial" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC · "filma" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "filial" and "filma" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "filial" or "filma"?
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 "filial" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "filma" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #136,927 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "filial" and "filma" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "filma vs flama". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #136,927 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.