Which to use
“mara” and “mer” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #13,956
- “mara” frequency rank
- #21,067
- “mer” frequency rank
- 35023
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | mara | mer |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Pandilla de jóvenes urbanos, especialmente la de comportamiento antisocial o delictivo. | Mar. |
Where the eye mixes mara and mer
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses mara with mer
A purely visual mix-up. mara ([ˈmaɾa]) and mer ([mɛʁ]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 35023, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
mara is recorded at frequency rank #13,956, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈmaɾa]. mer is at rank #21,067, tagged as anoun, pronounced [mɛʁ].
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 35023, this pair ranks #188,275 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of mara vs mer
Shared letters: mr. Private to "mara": a. Private to "mer": e.
"mara" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "mer" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- mara ← marra · mmara · mraa
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "mara" and "mer" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "mara" or "mer"?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "mara" and "mer" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "mara" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "mer" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #188,275 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "mara" and "mer" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "mer vs mur". 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 #188,275 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.