Which to use
“key” and “keys” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #18,292
- “key” frequency rank
- #32,273
- “keys” frequency rank
- 50565
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | key | keys |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Llave. | Forma del plural de key. |
Where the eye mixes key and keys
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: key vs keys
A purely visual mix-up. key ([kiː]) and keys (/kiːz/) 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 1 extra letter(s) - “key” sits inside “keys”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 50565, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
key is recorded at frequency rank #18,292, classified as anoun, pronounced [kiː]. keys is at rank #32,273, tagged as anoun, pronounced /kiːz/.
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 50565, this pair ranks #102,525 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of key vs keys
Shared letters: eky. Private to "key": -. Private to "keys": s.
"key" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "keys" · 4 letters · shape CVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- keys ← ekys · kesy · keyss · keyys · kkeys · kyes
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "key" for "keys" ever safe?
Which is more common, "key" or "keys"?
What to do next
Eye-level mix-up between "key" and "keys" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "key" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "keys" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #102,525 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "key" and "keys" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "keen vs keys". 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 #102,525 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.