The DLE redirects the definition of quizás to quizá, but I wonder if there's any implicit, secret rule that I am not aware of as to whether quizás is preferred over quizá.

I've seen both forms used almost indistinguishably even in the same text.

What's your take on this? Would you use both words in the same text? Do you have a rule to choose one or the other, depending on the word following it, for example?

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It comes from Latin "qui sapit" meaning "Who knows?".

The first documentation of the word appears on the famous work Cantares del Mio Cid:

Allá dentro en Marruecos,
ó las mezquitas son, que abrán de mí salto

quiçab alguna noch,
ellos lo temen, ca non lo pienso yo;

(At least that's what it says on my Latin etymology dictionary)

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Use quizás when the next word starts with a vowel. Use quizá when the next word starts with a consonant as in the examples below:

  • quizá podemos - maybe we can

  • quizás ella puede - maybe she can

This is like the English "a" and "an." You don't say "a animal," you say "an animal" so that you don't have an 'A sound' followed by another 'A sound.'

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    That is interesting. Is it a rule you came up with, based on observation, or did you learn this somewhere? It would be interesting to know the origin of the rule. Also, if this is a regional rule, it would be helpful to know what your region is. Thanks, Guest, and welcome to the site! – aparente001 Aug 21 '19 at 16:53
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    @aparente001 I agree with Guest that, traditionally, it was taught that way. In "Gramática histórica de la lengua castellana", the author says: Nosotros nos atreveríamos, si para ello tuviéramos autoridad suficiente, a recomendar la forma "quizá" cuando precede a conso- nante y "quizás" antes de vocal. – Gustavson Aug 21 '19 at 19:23
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    @walen "quizá alguien" and the like are really cacophonic. The "s" is best to create liaison between the two vowels. – Gustavson Aug 21 '19 at 19:36
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    @Gustavson - Shall we wait a day or two, and if Guest doesn't edit the answer, you could add the material from your comment? – aparente001 Aug 21 '19 at 20:01
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    @walen En este artículo (entre otros que hay en Internet): estandarte.com/noticias/idioma-espanol/quizs-o-quiz_1170.html puede leerse: En general podemos decir que, movidos por motivos fonéticos, tendemos a decir quizá cuando la palabra que se escribe a continuación empieza con consonante, y quizás si la palabra que sigue empieza por vocal. Así, decimos: Quizá llame a Laura esta tarde, y Quizás encuentres lo que buscas en otro lugar. – Gustavson Aug 22 '19 at 0:01

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