Which to use
“cantes” and “cate” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #38,547
- “cantes” frequency rank
- #38,559
- “cate” frequency rank
- 77106
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | cantes | cate |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Forma del plural de cante. | Suspenso de un test, examen o asignatura. |
Where the eye mixes cantes and cate
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. cantes runs 6 letters (CVCCVC) against cate's 4 (CVCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses cantes with cate
A purely visual mix-up. cantes ([ˈkãn̪t̪es]) and cate ([ˈkat̪e]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 77106, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
cantes is recorded at frequency rank #38,547, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈkãn̪t̪es]. cate is at rank #38,559, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈkat̪e].
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 77106, this pair ranks #16,575 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of cantes vs cate
Shared letters: acet. Private to "cantes": ns. Private to "cate": -.
"cantes" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "cate" · 4 letters · shape CVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "cantes" and "cate" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "cantes" or "cate" show up more?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "cantes" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "cate" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #16,575 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "cantes" and "cate" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "cate vs catre". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #16,575 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.