What is the difference between mellizo and gemelo?

Question

Do both of these words refer only to identical twins? Is there a word for fraternal twin?

Answer 1

Mellizo is a twin and gemelo is identical twin.

• OK, so you only use the word mellizo when referring to fraternal twins? - PaquitaG Jan 18, 2010
• Yes that's right, - kenwilliams Jan 18, 2010
• I don't think that this is universally agreed upon, but I use this way as well. - Gekkosan Jan 28, 2011

Answer 2

I'm glad someone asked this. I was watching Las tres mellizas, and I looked up the word "melliza" on here, and it gave the definition for sausage. I was like, why are they calling the themselves sausages?

• How funny. The correct word for 3 female twins is Trillizas (without the word 3). Mellizas applies to only two. - gone Jan 28, 2011
• Hola: Trillizas es "triplets". - LuisaGomezBa Jan 28, 2011