Which to use
“castigo” and “castillo” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #3,463
- “castigo” frequency rank
- #2,237
- “castillo” frequency rank
- 5700
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | castigo | castillo |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Pena impuesta a una persona por cometer una falta o delito. | Recinto fortificado, típico de la arquitectura militar del Medioevo, en especial el dotado de murallas y torres para su defensa |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set castigo and castillo apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. castigo ([kasˈt̪iɣ̞o]) and castillo ([kasˈt̪iʝo]) 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 5700, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
castigo is recorded at frequency rank #3,463, classified as anoun, pronounced [kasˈt̪iɣ̞o]. castillo is at rank #2,237, tagged as anoun, pronounced [kasˈt̪iʝo].
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 5700, this pair ranks #312,899 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of castigo vs castillo
Shared letters: aciost. Private to "castigo": g. Private to "castillo": l.
"castigo" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV · "castillo" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "castigo" and "castillo" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "castigo" or "castillo"?
Remembering castigo vs castillo
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 “castigo” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable