propiosvspróximosWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: propios is a adjective, próximos is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“propios” is an adjective and “próximos” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#1,223
“propios” frequency rank
#3,142
“próximos” frequency rank
4365
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature propios próximos
Definition Forma del plural de propio. Forma del plural de próximo.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set propios and próximos apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
propios
8 ch
próximos

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: propios is [ˈpɾopjos] while próximos is [ˈpɾoksimos]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 4365, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

propios is recorded at frequency rank #1,223, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈpɾopjos]. próximos is at rank #3,142, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈpɾoksimos].

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 4365, this pair ranks #316,266 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of propios vs próximos

Shared letters: ioprs. Private to "propios": -. Private to "próximos": mxó.

"propios" · 7 letters · shape CCVCVVC  ·  "próximos" · 8 letters · shape CCVCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • propiosporpios · ppropios · proipos · propioss · propiso · propois · proppios · prpoios

Frequency comparison

propios#1,223
próximos#3,142

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "propios" and "próximos" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "propios" is an adjective and "próximos" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "propios" or "próximos"?
"propios" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,223 in our Spanish list, against #3,142 for "próximos". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering propios vs próximos

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “propios”; for a noun, it's “próximos”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “propios” 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