Which to use
“mec” and “mem” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #38,809
- “mec” frequency rank
- #44,311
- “mem” frequency rank
- 83120
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | mec | mem |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Hombre enérgico. | Decimotercera letra del alfabeto hebreo |
Where the eye mixes mec and mem
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence. mec and mem follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (CVC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.
Why the eye confuses mec with mem
A purely visual mix-up. mec ([mɛk]) and mem ([ˈmẽm]) 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 a single letter - c in “mec” becomes m in “mem”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 83120, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
mec is recorded at frequency rank #38,809, classified as anoun, pronounced [mɛk]. mem is at rank #44,311, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈmẽm].
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 83120, this pair ranks #8,458 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of mec vs mem
Shared letters: em. Private to "mec": c. Private to "mem": -.
"mec" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "mem" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "mec" and "mem" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "mec" or "mem"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "mec" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "mem" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #8,458 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "mec" and "mem" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "mem vs mur". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #8,458 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.