metesvsmuteWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#10,534
“metes” frequency rank
#44,883
“mute” frequency rank
55417
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature metes mute
Definition Segunda persona del singular (tú) del presente de indicativo de meter o de meterse. Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de subjuntivo de mutar.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set metes and mute apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
metes
4 ch
mute

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. metes ([ˈmet̪es]) and mute ([ˈmut̪e]) 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 55417, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

metes is recorded at frequency rank #10,534, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈmet̪es]. mute is at rank #44,883, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈmut̪e].

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 55417, this pair ranks #78,984 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of metes vs mute

Shared letters: emt. Private to "metes": s. Private to "mute": u.

"metes" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC  ·  "mute" · 4 letters · shape CVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • metesemtes · meets · metess · metse · mettes · mmetes · mtees
  • mutemmute · mtue · muet · mutte · umte

Frequency comparison

metes#10,534
mute#44,883

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "metes" and "mute" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈmet̪es] versus [ˈmut̪e]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "metes" or "mute"?
"metes" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #10,534 in our Spanish list, against #44,883 for "mute". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering metes vs mute

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 “metes” 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