Which to use
“mai” is an adverb and “mil” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #14,397
- “mai” frequency rank
- #379
- “mil” frequency rank
- 14776
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | mai | mil |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Jamás o nunca. | Diez veces ciento. |
Where the eye mixes mai and mil
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between mai and mil
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: mai is [ˈmaj] while mil is [ˈmil]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (adverb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 14776, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
mai is recorded at frequency rank #14,397, classified as anadv, pronounced [ˈmaj]. mil is at rank #379, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈmil].
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 14776, this pair ranks #282,791 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of mai vs mil
Shared letters: im. Private to "mai": a. Private to "mil": l.
"mai" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "mil" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "mai" and "mil" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "mai" or "mil"?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "mai" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "mil" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #282,791 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "mai" and "mil" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "mai vs mur". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #282,791 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.