Which to use
“fósil” is a noun and “fósiles” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #26,862
- “fósil” frequency rank
- #11,584
- “fósiles” frequency rank
- 38446
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fósil | fósiles |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Restos de seres vivos o rastros de su actividad, conservados en los estratos de las rocas. | Forma del plural de fósil. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set fósil and fósiles apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: fósil is [ˈfosil] while fósiles is [ˈfosiles]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “fósil” sits inside “fósiles”, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38446, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
fósil is recorded at frequency rank #26,862, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈfosil]. fósiles is at rank #11,584, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈfosiles].
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 38446, this pair ranks #169,964 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of fósil vs fósiles
Shared letters: filsó. Private to "fósil": -. Private to "fósiles": e.
"fósil" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "fósiles" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "fósil" and "fósiles" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "fósil" or "fósiles"?
Remembering fósil vs fósiles
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “fósil”; for an adjective, it's “fósiles”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “fósil” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable