Which to use
“contada” is a participle and “contrata” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #21,948
- “contada” frequency rank
- #12,561
- “contrata” frequency rank
- 34509
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | contada | contrata |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Forma del femenino de contado, participio de contar. | Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de contratar. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set contada and contrata 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: contada is [kõn̪ˈt̪að̞a] while contrata is [kõn̪ˈt̪ɾat̪a]. 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 verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 34509, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
contada is recorded at frequency rank #21,948, classified as aparticiple, pronounced [kõn̪ˈt̪að̞a]. contrata is at rank #12,561, tagged as averb, pronounced [kõn̪ˈt̪ɾat̪a].
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 34509, this pair ranks #191,057 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of contada vs contrata
Shared letters: acnot. Private to "contada": d. Private to "contrata": r.
"contada" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV · "contrata" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "contada" and "contrata" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "contada" or "contrata"?
Remembering contada vs contrata
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a participle, it's “contada”; for a verb, it's “contrata”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “contada” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable