máquinavsmezquinaWhat's the difference?

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

Which to use

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

#2,356
“máquina” frequency rank
#44,315
“mezquina” frequency rank
46671
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

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

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set máquina and mezquina apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
máquina
8 ch
mezquina

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

máquina and mezquina form a confusable pair in the Spanish index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 46671, 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]. mezquina is at rank #44,315, tagged as anadj, pronounced [mesˈkina].

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 46671, this pair ranks #124,443 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Frequency comparison

máquina#2,356
mezquina#44,315

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "máquina" and "mezquina" be used interchangeably?
No, "máquina" and "mezquina" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering máquina vs mezquina

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 “mezquina”.
  • 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list