Which to use
“maps” and “mate” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #13,510
- “maps” frequency rank
- #3,719
- “mate” frequency rank
- 17229
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | maps | mate |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Forma del plural de map. | Infusión de yerba mate consumida como bebida estimulante. Tradicionalmente, se sirve en un pote hecho de calabaza seca y se bebe con una bombilla metálica. Es común en la gastronomía de Argentina, Brasil, Paraguay, Uruguay y Bolivia (Tarija). |
Where the eye mixes maps and mate
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses maps with mate
A purely visual mix-up. maps (/mæps/) and mate ([ˈmat̪e]) 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 17229, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
maps is recorded at frequency rank #13,510, classified as anoun, pronounced /mæps/. mate is at rank #3,719, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈmat̪e].
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 17229, this pair ranks #273,008 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of maps vs mate
Shared letters: am. Private to "maps": ps. Private to "mate": et.
"maps" · 4 letters · shape CVCC · "mate" · 4 letters · shape CVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "maps" for "mate" ever safe?
Which is more common, "maps" or "mate"?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "maps" and "mate" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "maps" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "mate" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #273,008 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "maps" and "mate" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "makes vs maps". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #273,008 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.