Which to use
“marías” and “maricas” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #26,919
- “marías” frequency rank
- #32,289
- “maricas” frequency rank
- 59208
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | marías | maricas |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Forma del plural de maría. | Forma del plural de marica. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set marías and maricas apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. marías ([maˈɾias]) and maricas ([maˈɾikas]) 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 59208, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
marías is recorded at frequency rank #26,919, classified as anoun, pronounced [maˈɾias]. maricas is at rank #32,289, tagged as anoun, pronounced [maˈɾikas].
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 59208, this pair ranks #63,484 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of marías vs maricas
Shared letters: amrs. Private to "marías": í. Private to "maricas": ci.
"marías" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC · "maricas" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- maricas ← amricas · maircas · marcias · mariacs · maricass · mariccas · maricsa · marricas
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "marías" and "maricas" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "marías" or "maricas"?
Remembering marías vs maricas
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 “marías” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable