baratovsbaratosWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: barato is a adjective, baratos is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“barato” is an adjective and “baratos” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#4,217
“barato” frequency rank
#7,105
“baratos” frequency rank
11322
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature barato baratos
Definition Dicho de algo que se compra o vende a bajo precio. Forma del plural de barato.

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
barato
7 ch
baratos

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: barato is [baˈɾat̪o] while baratos is [baˈɾat̪os]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “barato” sits inside “baratos”, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 11322, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

barato is recorded at frequency rank #4,217, classified as anadj, pronounced [baˈɾat̪o]. baratos is at rank #7,105, tagged as anoun, pronounced [baˈɾat̪os].

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 11322, this pair ranks #295,511 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of barato vs baratos

Shared letters: abort. Private to "barato": -. Private to "baratos": s.

"barato" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV  ·  "baratos" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • baratoabrato · baarto · baraot · baratto · barrato · bartao · bbarato · braato
  • baratosabratos · baartos · baraots · baratoss · baratso · barattos · barratos · bartaos

Frequency comparison

barato#4,217
baratos#7,105

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "barato" and "baratos" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "barato" is an adjective and "baratos" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "barato" or "baratos"?
"barato" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,217 in our Spanish list, against #7,105 for "baratos". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering barato vs baratos

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “barato”; for a noun, it's “baratos”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “barato” 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