keysvskissWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#32,273
“keys” frequency rank
#20,726
“kiss” frequency rank
52999
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature keys kiss
Definition Forma del plural de key. Beso.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set keys and kiss apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
keys
4 ch
kiss

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. keys (/kiːz/) and kiss (/kɪs/) 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 52999, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

keys is recorded at frequency rank #32,273, classified as anoun, pronounced /kiːz/. kiss is at rank #20,726, tagged as anoun, pronounced /kɪs/.

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 52999, this pair ranks #90,041 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of keys vs kiss

Shared letters: ks. Private to "keys": ey. Private to "kiss": i.

"keys" · 4 letters · shape CVVC  ·  "kiss" · 4 letters · shape CVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • keysekys · kesy · keyss · keyys · kkeys · kyes
  • kissikss · kis · kkiss · ksis

Frequency comparison

keys#32,273
kiss#20,726

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "keys" and "kiss" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently (/kiːz/ versus /kɪs/) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "keys" or "kiss"?
"kiss" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #20,726 in our Spanish list, against #32,273 for "keys". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering keys vs kiss

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 “keys” 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