Which to use
“candados” is a participle and “cantado” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #36,447
- “candados” frequency rank
- #15,033
- “cantado” frequency rank
- 51480
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | candados | cantado |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Forma del plural de candado, participio de candar o de candarse. | Dicho del sufragio: que no es secreto. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set candados and cantado apart are highlighted. They share 6 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: candados is [kãn̪ˈd̪að̞os] while cantado is [kãn̪ˈt̪að̞o]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (participle vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 51480, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
candados is recorded at frequency rank #36,447, classified as aparticiple, pronounced [kãn̪ˈd̪að̞os]. cantado is at rank #15,033, tagged as anadj, pronounced [kãn̪ˈt̪að̞o].
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 51480, this pair ranks #97,671 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of candados vs cantado
Shared letters: acdno. Private to "candados": s. Private to "cantado": t.
"candados" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC · "cantado" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "candados" and "cantado" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "candados" or "cantado"?
Remembering candados vs cantado
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a participle, it's “candados”; for an adjective, it's “cantado”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “candados” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable