calderovscorderoWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#37,994
“caldero” frequency rank
#7,408
“cordero” frequency rank
45402
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature caldero cordero
Definition Caldera de pequeño tamaño, con el fondo redondo y con un asa para cogerla, que va de un lado al otro de la boca. Cría de la oveja, de hasta un año, antes de ser borrego.

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
caldero
7 ch
cordero

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. caldero ([kal̪ˈd̪eɾo]) and cordero ([koɾˈð̞eɾo]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 45402, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

caldero is recorded at frequency rank #37,994, classified as anoun, pronounced [kal̪ˈd̪eɾo]. cordero is at rank #7,408, tagged as anoun, pronounced [koɾˈð̞eɾo].

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 45402, this pair ranks #131,633 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of caldero vs cordero

Shared letters: cdeor. Private to "caldero": al. Private to "cordero": -.

"caldero" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV  ·  "cordero" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • calderoacldero · cadlero · calddero · caldeor · calderro · caldreo · caledro · calldero
  • corderoccordero · codrero · corddero · cordeor · corderro · cordreo · coredro · corrdero

Frequency comparison

caldero#37,994
cordero#7,408

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "caldero" and "cordero" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([kal̪ˈd̪eɾo] versus [koɾˈð̞eɾo]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "caldero" or "cordero"?
"cordero" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #7,408 in our Spanish list, against #37,994 for "caldero". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering caldero vs cordero

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 “caldero” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list