mansvsmiesWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#43,698
“mans” frequency rank
#37,727
“mies” frequency rank
81425
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature mans mies
Definition Forma del plural de mà. Cualquier espiga de cereal madura, lista para ser recolectada, de cuya semilla puede obtenerse harina para hacer pan, etc.

Where the spellings diverge

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

4 ch
mans
4 ch
mies

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. mans ([ˈmans]) and mies ([ˈmjes]) 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 81425, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

mans is recorded at frequency rank #43,698, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈmans]. mies is at rank #37,727, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈmjes].

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 81425, this pair ranks #10,430 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of mans vs mies

Shared letters: ms. Private to "mans": an. Private to "mies": ei.

"mans" · 4 letters · shape CVCC  ·  "mies" · 4 letters · shape CVVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • mansamns · manns · manss · masn · mmans · mnas
  • miesimes · meis · miess · mise · mmies

Frequency comparison

mans#43,698
mies#37,727

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "mans" and "mies" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈmans] versus [ˈmjes]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "mans" or "mies"?
"mies" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #37,727 in our Spanish list, against #43,698 for "mans". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering mans vs mies

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 “mans” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list