Which to use
“magic” and “maíz” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #17,755
- “magic” frequency rank
- #4,806
- “maíz” frequency rank
- 22561
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | magic | maíz |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Magia. | (Zea mays) Planta anual, herbácea, de la familia de las poáceas, originaria de América y hoy cultivada en todo el mundo como alimento. Tiene tallos erectos, en forma de caña, de hasta 3 m de altura, hojas densamente apretadas que protegen las inflorescencias femeninas y un penacho terminal de flores masculinas. La espádice femenina se transforma en un fruto compuesto llamado mazorca, con los granos dispuestos en hileras sobre un eje leñoso |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set magic and maíz apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
magic and maíz form a confusable pair in the Spanish index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 22561, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
magic is recorded at frequency rank #17,755, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈmæd͡ʒ.ɪk/. maíz is at rank #4,806, tagged as anoun, pronounced [maˈis].
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 22561, this pair ranks #249,741 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "magic" and "maíz" be used interchangeably?
Remembering magic vs maíz
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 “magic” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable