ajustavsajustarWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#14,050
“ajusta” frequency rank
#10,257
“ajustar” frequency rank
24307
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature ajusta ajustar
Definition Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de ajustar o de ajustarse. Modificar hasta llevar a la forma o tamaño justo o adecuado, en particular para permitir que case o que no discrepe con otra cosa, o que sus partes se acoplen bien.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ajusta and ajustar apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
ajusta
7 ch
ajustar

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. ajusta ([aˈxust̪a]) and ajustar ([axusˈt̪aɾ]) 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 extra letter(s) - “ajusta” sits inside “ajustar”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 24307, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

ajusta is recorded at frequency rank #14,050, classified as averb, pronounced [aˈxust̪a]. ajustar is at rank #10,257, tagged as averb, pronounced [axusˈt̪aɾ].

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 24307, this pair ranks #241,763 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of ajusta vs ajustar

Shared letters: ajstu. Private to "ajusta": -. Private to "ajustar": r.

"ajusta" · 6 letters · shape VCVCCV  ·  "ajustar" · 7 letters · shape VCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • ajustaajjusta · ajsuta · ajusat · ajussta · ajustta · ajutsa · aujsta · jausta
  • ajustarajjustar · ajsutar · ajusatr · ajusstar · ajustarr · ajustra · ajusttar · ajutsar

Frequency comparison

ajusta#14,050
ajustar#10,257

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "ajusta" and "ajustar" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([aˈxust̪a] versus [axusˈt̪aɾ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "ajusta" or "ajustar"?
"ajustar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #10,257 in our Spanish list, against #14,050 for "ajusta". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering ajusta vs ajustar

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 “ajusta” 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