Which to use
“contrata” and “contratan” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #12,561
- “contrata” frequency rank
- #23,001
- “contratan” frequency rank
- 35562
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | contrata | contratan |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de contratar. | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de contratar. |
Where the eye mixes contrata and contratan
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses contrata with contratan
A purely visual mix-up. contrata ([kõn̪ˈt̪ɾat̪a]) and contratan ([kõn̪ˈt̪ɾat̪ãn]) 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 extra letter(s) - “contrata” sits inside “contratan”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 35562, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
contrata is recorded at frequency rank #12,561, classified as averb, pronounced [kõn̪ˈt̪ɾat̪a]. contratan is at rank #23,001, tagged as averb, pronounced [kõn̪ˈt̪ɾat̪ãn].
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 35562, this pair ranks #185,424 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of contrata vs contratan
Shared letters: acnort. Private to "contrata": -. Private to "contratan": -.
"contrata" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVCV · "contratan" · 9 letters · shape CVCCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "contrata" and "contratan" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "contrata" vs "contratan" - which ranks higher?
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 "contrata" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "contratan" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #185,424 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "contrata" and "contratan" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "contrastan vs contratan". 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 #185,424 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.