gentilvsgentilesWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#16,346
“gentil” frequency rank
#31,367
“gentiles” frequency rank
47713
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature gentil gentiles
Definition Propio de, relativo o perteneciente a un grupo de gentes distinto del del hablante. Forma del plural de gentil.

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
gentil
8 ch
gentiles

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. gentil ([xẽn̪ˈt̪il]) and gentiles ([xẽn̪ˈt̪iles]) 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) - “gentil” sits inside “gentiles”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 47713, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

gentil is recorded at frequency rank #16,346, classified as anadj, pronounced [xẽn̪ˈt̪il]. gentiles is at rank #31,367, tagged as anadj, pronounced [xẽn̪ˈt̪iles].

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 47713, this pair ranks #118,536 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of gentil vs gentiles

Shared letters: egilnt. Private to "gentil": -. Private to "gentiles": s.

"gentil" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "gentiles" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • gentilegntil · genitl · genntil · gentill · gentli · genttil · getnil · ggentil
  • gentilesegntiles · genitles · genntiles · gentiels · gentiless · gentilles · gentilse · gentlies

Frequency comparison

gentil#16,346
gentiles#31,367

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "gentil" and "gentiles" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([xẽn̪ˈt̪il] versus [xẽn̪ˈt̪iles]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "gentil" or "gentiles"?
"gentil" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #16,346 in our Spanish list, against #31,367 for "gentiles". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering gentil vs gentiles

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 “gentil” 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