Which to use
“cancela” is a noun and “cancelada” is a participle - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #16,779
- “cancela” frequency rank
- #22,292
- “cancelada” frequency rank
- 39071
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | cancela | cancelada |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Verjilla que se pone en el umbral de algunas casas para reservar el portal o zaguán del libre acceso del público. | Forma del femenino de cancelado, participio de cancelar. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set cancela and cancelada apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: cancela is [kãnˈsela] while cancelada is [kãnseˈlað̞a]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “cancela” sits inside “cancelada”, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs participle), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 39071, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
cancela is recorded at frequency rank #16,779, classified as anoun, pronounced [kãnˈsela]. cancelada is at rank #22,292, tagged as aparticiple, pronounced [kãnseˈlað̞a].
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 39071, this pair ranks #166,542 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of cancela vs cancelada
Shared letters: aceln. Private to "cancela": -. Private to "cancelada": d.
"cancela" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV · "cancelada" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "cancela" and "cancelada" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "cancela" or "cancelada"?
Remembering cancela vs cancelada
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “cancela”; for a participle, it's “cancelada”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “cancela” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable