Which to use
“agua” and “aguja” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #253
- “agua” frequency rank
- #10,095
- “aguja” frequency rank
- 10348
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | agua | aguja |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Sustancia transparente, inodora e insípida, que se encuentra en estado líquido a temperatura y presión estándar, y cuya composición molecular es de dos átomos de hidrógeno por uno de oxígeno. | Barrita puntiaguda de metal, hueso o madera con un ojo por donde se pasa el hilo, cuerda, etc., con que se cose, borda o teje. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set agua and aguja apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. agua ([ˈaɣ̞wa]) and aguja ([aˈɣ̞uxa]) 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 10348, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
agua is recorded at frequency rank #253, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈaɣ̞wa]. aguja is at rank #10,095, tagged as anoun, pronounced [aˈɣ̞uxa].
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 10348, this pair ranks #298,953 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of agua vs aguja
Shared letters: agu. Private to "agua": -. Private to "aguja": j.
"agua" · 4 letters · shape VCVV · "aguja" · 5 letters · shape VCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "agua" and "aguja" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "agua" or "aguja"?
Remembering agua vs aguja
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 “agua” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable