máquinavsmatutinaWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: máquina is a noun, matutina is an adjective, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“máquina” is a noun and “matutina” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#2,356
“máquina” frequency rank
#34,673
“matutina” frequency rank
37029
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature máquina matutina
Definition Aparato compuesto de varias partes que interactúan para la ejecución de determinada tarea que requiere cierta energía. Forma del femenino de matutino.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set máquina and matutina apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
máquina
8 ch
matutina

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: máquina is [ˈmakina] while matutina is [mat̪uˈt̪ina]. 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 37029, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

máquina is recorded at frequency rank #2,356, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈmakina]. matutina is at rank #34,673, tagged as anadj, pronounced [mat̪uˈt̪ina].

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 37029, this pair ranks #177,513 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of máquina vs matutina

Shared letters: aimnu. Private to "máquina": . Private to "matutina": t.

"máquina" · 7 letters · shape CVCVVCV  ·  "matutina" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • matutinaamtutina · mattuina · mattutina · matuitna · matutian · matutinna · matutnia · matuttina

Frequency comparison

máquina#2,356
matutina#34,673

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "máquina" and "matutina" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "máquina" is a noun and "matutina" an adjective, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "máquina" or "matutina"?
"máquina" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,356 in our Spanish list, against #34,673 for "matutina". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering máquina vs matutina

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “máquina”; for an adjective, it's “matutina”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “máquina” 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