ayunarvsayunasWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#43,995
“ayunar” frequency rank
#39,595
“ayunas” frequency rank
83590
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature ayunar ayunas
Definition Abstenerse total o parcialmente de comer o beber. Segunda persona del singular (tú) del presente de indicativo de ayunar.

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
ayunar
6 ch
ayunas

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. ayunar ([aʝuˈnaɾ]) and ayunas ([aˈʝunas]) 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 a single letter - r in “ayunar” becomes s in “ayunas”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 83590, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

ayunar is recorded at frequency rank #43,995, classified as averb, pronounced [aʝuˈnaɾ]. ayunas is at rank #39,595, tagged as averb, pronounced [aˈʝunas].

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 83590, this pair ranks #7,980 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of ayunar vs ayunas

Shared letters: anuy. Private to "ayunar": r. Private to "ayunas": s.

"ayunar" · 6 letters · shape VVVCVC  ·  "ayunas" · 6 letters · shape VVVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • ayunarauynar · aynuar · ayuanr · ayunarr · ayunnar · ayunra · ayyunar · yaunar
  • ayunasauynas · aynuas · ayuans · ayunass · ayunnas · ayunsa · ayyunas · yaunas

Frequency comparison

ayunar#43,995
ayunas#39,595

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "ayunar" and "ayunas" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([aʝuˈnaɾ] versus [aˈʝunas]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "ayunar" or "ayunas"?
"ayunas" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #39,595 in our Spanish list, against #43,995 for "ayunar". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering ayunar vs ayunas

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 “ayunar” 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