filónvsfilosWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#42,452
“filón” frequency rank
#47,806
“filos” frequency rank
90258
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature filón filos
Definition Masa metálifera o pétrea que llena una grieta de las rocas, frecuentemente depositada por sedimentación de aguas subterráneas o de origen volcánico. Forma del plural de filo.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set filón and filos apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
filón
5 ch
filos

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. filón ([fiˈlõn]) and filos ([ˈfilos]) 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 90258, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

filón is recorded at frequency rank #42,452, classified as anoun, pronounced [fiˈlõn]. filos is at rank #47,806, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈfilos].

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 90258, this pair ranks #2,617 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of filón vs filos

Shared letters: fil. Private to "filón": . Private to "filos": os.

"filón" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC  ·  "filos" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • filosffilos · fillos · filoss · filso · fiols · flios · iflos

Frequency comparison

filón#42,452
filos#47,806

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "filón" and "filos" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([fiˈlõn] versus [ˈfilos]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "filón" or "filos"?
"filón" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #42,452 in our Spanish list, against #47,806 for "filos". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering filón vs filos

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 “filón” 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