maia
/ˈmaɪə/
noun
Familiar
1.n.type genus of the Majidae; nearly cosmopolitan in distribution
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maia and maya are homophones: they are pronounced identically and spelled differently, which is why they are so often swapped. maia means “type genus of the Majidae; nearly cosmopolitan in distribution”. maya means “a member of an American Indian people of Yucatan and Belize and Guatemala who had a culture (which reached its peak between AD 300 and 900) characterized by outstanding architecture and pottery and astronomy”. maya is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈmaɪə/
1.n.type genus of the Majidae; nearly cosmopolitan in distribution
/ˈmaɪə/
1.
| maia | maya | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈmaɪə/ | /ˈmaɪə/ |
| Said | MAHY-uh | MAHY-uh |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 4 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | noun | noun |
| Senses | 1 | 3 |
| How common | Familiar | Common |
| Synonyms | Maja, genus Maja, genus Maia | Mayan |
Full entry for maia · Full entry for maya · More comparisons
“Mayans had a system of writing and an accurate calendar”
2.n.an ethnic minority speaking Mayan languages and living in Yucatan and adjacent areas
3.n.a family of American Indian languages spoken by Mayas