Which to use
“contó” is a verb and “contra” is a preposition - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,598
- “contó” frequency rank
- #129
- “contra” frequency rank
- 2727
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | contó | contra |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de contar. | Indica oposición. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set contó and contra apart are highlighted. They share 4 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: contó is [kõn̪ˈt̪o] while contra is [ˈkõn̪t̪ɾa]. 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 (verb vs preposition), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 2727, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
contó is recorded at frequency rank #2,598, classified as averb, pronounced [kõn̪ˈt̪o]. contra is at rank #129, tagged as aprep, pronounced [ˈkõn̪t̪ɾa].
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 2727, this pair ranks #319,777 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of contó vs contra
Shared letters: cnot. Private to "contó": ó. Private to "contra": ar.
"contó" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV · "contra" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- contra ← ccontra · cnotra · conntra · conrta · contrra · conttra · cotnra · ocntra
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "contó" and "contra" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "contó" or "contra"?
Remembering contó vs contra
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “contó”; for a preposition, it's “contra”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “contó” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable