bolígrafovsbolígrafosWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#28,653
“bolígrafo” frequency rank
#44,009
“bolígrafos” frequency rank
72662
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature bolígrafo bolígrafos
Definition Instrumento de escritura similar a un lápiz que contiene un depósito de tinta y una esfera en la punta que la distribuye sobre el papel. De la esfera o "bola" surge la denominación genérica. Forma del plural de bolígrafo.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set bolígrafo and bolígrafos apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
bolígrafo
10 ch
bolígrafos

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. bolígrafo ([boˈliɣ̞ɾafo]) and bolígrafos ([boˈliɣ̞ɾafos]) 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) - “bolígrafo” sits inside “bolígrafos”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 72662, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

bolígrafo is recorded at frequency rank #28,653, classified as anoun, pronounced [boˈliɣ̞ɾafo]. bolígrafos is at rank #44,009, tagged as anoun, pronounced [boˈliɣ̞ɾafos].

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 72662, this pair ranks #24,913 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of bolígrafo vs bolígrafos

Shared letters: abfglorí. Private to "bolígrafo": -. Private to "bolígrafos": s.

"bolígrafo" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCCVCV  ·  "bolígrafos" · 10 letters · shape CVCVCCVCVC

Frequency comparison

bolígrafo#28,653
bolígrafos#44,009

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "bolígrafo" and "bolígrafos" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([boˈliɣ̞ɾafo] versus [boˈliɣ̞ɾafos]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "bolígrafo" or "bolígrafos"?
"bolígrafo" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #28,653 in our Spanish list, against #44,009 for "bolígrafos". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering bolígrafo vs bolígrafos

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 “bolígrafo” 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