Which to use
“vil” is an adjective and “voy” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #14,253
- “vil” frequency rank
- #156
- “voy” frequency rank
- 14409
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | vil | voy |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | De poco valor. | Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de indicativo de ir o de irse. |
Where the eye mixes vil and voy
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between vil and voy
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: vil is [ˈbil] while voy is [ˈboj]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 14409, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
vil is recorded at frequency rank #14,253, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈbil]. voy is at rank #156, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈboj].
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 14409, this pair ranks #284,226 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of vil vs voy
Shared letters: v. Private to "vil": il. Private to "voy": oy.
"vil" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "voy" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "vil" for "voy" ever safe?
Frequency check: "vil" vs "voy" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "vil" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "voy" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #284,226 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "vil" and "voy" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "vil vs VOR". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #284,226 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.