Which to use
“caradura” and “cerradura” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #31,688
- “caradura” frequency rank
- #17,899
- “cerradura” frequency rank
- 49587
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | caradura | cerradura |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Sinvergüenza. | Mecanismo usualmente de metal que se incorpora a puertas, cajones de armarios, cofres, arcones, etc., para impedir que se puedan abrir sin la llave y así proteger su contenido. Este mecanismo se puede accionar mediante una llave normalmente de acero. En la actualidad, aparte de las cerraduras mecánicas, existen otras como las electro-mecánicas o las electrónicas, en las que la llave puede ser una tarjeta de plástico o PVC. |
Where the eye mixes caradura and cerradura
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. caradura runs 8 letters (CVCVCVCV) against cerradura's 9 (CVCCVCVCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses caradura with cerradura
A purely visual mix-up. caradura ([kaɾaˈð̞uɾa]) and cerradura ([seraˈð̞uɾa]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 49587, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
caradura is recorded at frequency rank #31,688, classified as anoun, pronounced [kaɾaˈð̞uɾa]. cerradura is at rank #17,899, tagged as anoun, pronounced [seraˈð̞uɾa].
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 49587, this pair ranks #107,967 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of caradura vs cerradura
Shared letters: acdru. Private to "caradura": -. Private to "cerradura": e.
"caradura" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCVCV · "cerradura" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "caradura" for "cerradura" ever safe?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "caradura" or "cerradura" show up more?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "caradura" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "cerradura" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #107,967 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "caradura" and "cerradura" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "caradura vs carátula". 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 #107,967 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.