memvsmiesWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“mem” and “mies” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#44,311
“mem” frequency rank
#37,727
“mies” frequency rank
82038
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature mem mies
Definition Decimotercera letra del alfabeto hebreo Cualquier espiga de cereal madura, lista para ser recolectada, de cuya semilla puede obtenerse harina para hacer pan, etc.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set mem and mies apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

3 ch
mem
4 ch
mies

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. mem ([ˈmẽm]) and mies ([ˈmjes]) 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 82038, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

mem is recorded at frequency rank #44,311, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈmẽm]. mies is at rank #37,727, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈmjes].

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 82038, this pair ranks #9,668 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of mem vs mies

Shared letters: em. Private to "mem": -. Private to "mies": is.

"mem" · 3 letters · shape CVC  ·  "mies" · 4 letters · shape CVVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • miesimes · meis · miess · mise · mmies

Frequency comparison

mem#44,311
mies#37,727

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "mem" and "mies" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈmẽm] versus [ˈmjes]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "mem" or "mies"?
"mies" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #37,727 in our Spanish list, against #44,311 for "mem". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering mem vs mies

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 “mem” 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