Which to use
“alcalde” and “alcaldes” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,434
- “alcalde” frequency rank
- #6,484
- “alcaldes” frequency rank
- 7918
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | alcalde | alcaldes |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Persona a cargo de la dirección administrativa o política de un municipio o ciudad. | Forma del plural de alcalde. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set alcalde and alcaldes apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. alcalde ([alˈkal̪d̪e]) and alcaldes ([alˈkal̪d̪es]) 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) - “alcalde” sits inside “alcaldes”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 7918, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
alcalde is recorded at frequency rank #1,434, classified as anoun, pronounced [alˈkal̪d̪e]. alcaldes is at rank #6,484, tagged as anoun, pronounced [alˈkal̪d̪es].
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 7918, this pair ranks #306,540 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of alcalde vs alcaldes
Shared letters: acdel. Private to "alcalde": -. Private to "alcaldes": s.
"alcalde" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCV · "alcaldes" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "alcalde" and "alcaldes" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "alcalde" or "alcaldes"?
Remembering alcalde vs alcaldes
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 “alcalde” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable