Which to use
“maíz” is a noun and “mil” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #4,806
- “maíz” frequency rank
- #379
- “mil” frequency rank
- 5185
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | maíz | mil |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | (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 | Diez veces ciento. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set maíz and mil apart are highlighted. They share 1 letter in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: maíz is [maˈis] while mil is [ˈmil]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 5185, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
maíz is recorded at frequency rank #4,806, classified as anoun, pronounced [maˈis]. 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 5185, this pair ranks #314,274 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of maíz vs mil
Shared letters: m. Private to "maíz": azí. Private to "mil": il.
"maíz" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "mil" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "maíz" and "mil" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "maíz" or "mil"?
Remembering maíz vs mil
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “maíz”; for an adjective, it's “mil”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “maíz” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable