ajustarvsajustarseWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#10,257
“ajustar” frequency rank
#20,879
“ajustarse” frequency rank
31136
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature ajustar ajustarse
Definition 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. Tomar la forma o tamaño justo o adecuado, en particular para casar o concordar con otra cosa, o hasta que sus partes se acoplen bien.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ajustar and ajustarse apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
ajustar
9 ch
ajustarse

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. ajustar ([axusˈt̪aɾ]) and ajustarse ([axusˈt̪aɾse]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “ajustar” sits inside “ajustarse”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 31136, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

ajustar is recorded at frequency rank #10,257, classified as averb, pronounced [axusˈt̪aɾ]. ajustarse is at rank #20,879, tagged as averb, pronounced [axusˈt̪aɾse].

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 31136, this pair ranks #208,597 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of ajustar vs ajustarse

Shared letters: ajrstu. Private to "ajustar": -. Private to "ajustarse": e.

"ajustar" · 7 letters · shape VCVCCVC  ·  "ajustarse" · 9 letters · shape VCVCCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • ajustarajjustar · ajsutar · ajusatr · ajusstar · ajustarr · ajustra · ajusttar · ajutsar
  • ajustarseajjustarse · ajsutarse · ajusatrse · ajusstarse · ajustarce · ajustares · ajustarrse · ajustarsse

Frequency comparison

ajustar#10,257
ajustarse#20,879

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "ajustar" and "ajustarse" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([axusˈt̪aɾ] versus [axusˈt̪aɾse]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "ajustar" or "ajustarse"?
"ajustar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #10,257 in our Spanish list, against #20,879 for "ajustarse". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering ajustar vs ajustarse

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 “ajustar” 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