Which to use
“cercana” is an adjective and “cercanías” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,762
- “cercana” frequency rank
- #11,921
- “cercanías” frequency rank
- 15683
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | cercana | cercanías |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Forma del femenino singular de cercano. | Tren que une dos poblaciones cercanas, parando en todas las estaciones intermedias. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set cercana and cercanías 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: cercana is [seɾˈkana] while cercanías is [seɾkaˈnias]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 15683, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
cercana is recorded at frequency rank #3,762, classified as anadj, pronounced [seɾˈkana]. cercanías is at rank #11,921, tagged as anoun, pronounced [seɾkaˈnias].
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 15683, this pair ranks #279,174 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of cercana vs cercanías
Shared letters: acenr. Private to "cercana": -. Private to "cercanías": sí.
"cercana" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV · "cercanías" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- cercana ← ccercana · cecrana · ceracna · cercaan · cercanna · cerccana · cercnaa · cerrcana
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "cercana" and "cercanías" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "cercana" or "cercanías"?
Remembering cercana vs cercanías
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “cercana”; for a noun, it's “cercanías”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “cercana” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable