básquetvsbusquesWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: básquet is a noun, busques is a verb, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“básquet” is a noun and “busques” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#24,408
“básquet” frequency rank
#12,533
“busques” frequency rank
36941
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature básquet busques
Definition Deporte de equipo en que cinco jugadores, llamados basquetbolistas o baloncestistas, buscan introducir un balón ayudándose sólo de las manos, en un aro con un cesto agujereado puesto a 3,05 m del suelo y defendido por el equipo rival. Los partidos duran 40 minutos, divididos en cuartos y si hay empate, el juego se alarga por tramos de 5 minutos hasta que un equipo logre ganar. Segunda persona del singular (tú) del presente de subjuntivo de buscar.

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
básquet
7 ch
busques

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: básquet is [ˈbasket̪] while busques is [ˈbuskes]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 36941, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

básquet is recorded at frequency rank #24,408, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈbasket̪]. busques is at rank #12,533, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈbuskes].

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 36941, this pair ranks #177,978 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of básquet vs busques

Shared letters: beqsu. Private to "básquet": . Private to "busques": -.

"básquet" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVVC  ·  "busques" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • busquesbbusques · bsuques · buqsues · busqeus · busqques · busquess · busquse · bussques

Frequency comparison

básquet#24,408
busques#12,533

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "básquet" and "busques" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "básquet" is a noun and "busques" a verb, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "básquet" or "busques"?
"busques" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #12,533 in our Spanish list, against #24,408 for "básquet". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering básquet vs busques

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

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