aflojarvsalejarWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“aflojar” and “alejar” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#31,623
“aflojar” frequency rank
#15,531
“alejar” frequency rank
47154
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature aflojar alejar
Definition Reducir la fuerza que un cosa o persona ejerce como presión o tensión. Poner o llevar lejos o a mayor distancia.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set aflojar and alejar apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
aflojar
6 ch
alejar

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. aflojar ([afloˈxaɾ]) and alejar ([aleˈxaɾ]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 47154, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

aflojar is recorded at frequency rank #31,623, classified as averb, pronounced [afloˈxaɾ]. alejar is at rank #15,531, tagged as averb, pronounced [aleˈxaɾ].

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 47154, this pair ranks #121,627 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of aflojar vs alejar

Shared letters: ajlr. Private to "aflojar": fo. Private to "alejar": e.

"aflojar" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCVC  ·  "alejar" · 6 letters · shape VCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • aflojarafflojar · afljoar · afllojar · afloajr · aflojarr · aflojjar · aflojra · afoljar
  • alejaraeljar · aleajr · alejarr · alejjar · alejra · aljear · allejar · laejar

Frequency comparison

aflojar#31,623
alejar#15,531

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "aflojar" and "alejar" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([afloˈxaɾ] versus [aleˈxaɾ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "aflojar" or "alejar"?
"alejar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #15,531 in our Spanish list, against #31,623 for "aflojar". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering aflojar vs alejar

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 “aflojar” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list