Which to use
“tobillo” and “tomillo” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #14,240
- “tobillo” frequency rank
- #37,882
- “tomillo” frequency rank
- 52122
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | tobillo | tomillo |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Porción inferior de la pierna que se articula con el pie. | (Thymus spp) Nombre común en español con el que se conocen a diversas plantas del género Thymus, de la familia de las labiadas (Lamiales) (Lamiaceae). El más común y conocido es Thymus vulgaris, que se emplea como condimento y como planta medicinal. Los tomillos son plantas perennes, de tallo leñoso, de escasa altura, que viven en suelos pobres y pedregosos de regiones secas. Sus hojas son diminutas y poseen esencias aromáticas. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set tobillo and tomillo apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. tobillo ([t̪oˈβ̞iʝo]) and tomillo ([t̪oˈmiʝo]) 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 - b in “tobillo” becomes m in “tomillo”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 52122, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
tobillo is recorded at frequency rank #14,240, classified as anoun, pronounced [t̪oˈβ̞iʝo]. tomillo is at rank #37,882, tagged as anoun, pronounced [t̪oˈmiʝo].
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 52122, this pair ranks #94,250 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of tobillo vs tomillo
Shared letters: ilot. Private to "tobillo": b. Private to "tomillo": m.
"tobillo" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV · "tomillo" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "tobillo" and "tomillo" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "tobillo" or "tomillo"?
Remembering tobillo vs tomillo
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 “tobillo” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable