contratanvscontrataronWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“contratan” and “contrataron” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#23,001
“contratan” frequency rank
#21,617
“contrataron” frequency rank
44618
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature contratan contrataron
Definition Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de contratar. Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de contratar.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set contratan and contrataron apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
contratan
11 ch
contrataron

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. contratan ([kõn̪ˈt̪ɾat̪ãn]) and contrataron ([kõn̪t̪ɾaˈt̪aɾõn]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 44618, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

contratan is recorded at frequency rank #23,001, classified as averb, pronounced [kõn̪ˈt̪ɾat̪ãn]. contrataron is at rank #21,617, tagged as averb, pronounced [kõn̪t̪ɾaˈt̪aɾõn].

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 44618, this pair ranks #136,055 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of contratan vs contrataron

Shared letters: acnort. Private to "contratan": -. Private to "contrataron": -.

"contratan" · 9 letters · shape CVCCCVCVC  ·  "contrataron" · 11 letters · shape CVCCCVCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • contratanccontratan · cnotratan · conntratan · conrtatan · contartan · contraatn · contratann · contratna
  • contrataronccontrataron · cnotrataron · conntrataron · conrtataron · contartaron · contraatron · contrataorn · contratarno

Frequency comparison

contratan#23,001
contrataron#21,617

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "contratan" and "contrataron" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([kõn̪ˈt̪ɾat̪ãn] versus [kõn̪t̪ɾaˈt̪aɾõn]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "contratan" or "contrataron"?
"contrataron" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #21,617 in our Spanish list, against #23,001 for "contratan". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering contratan vs contrataron

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 “contratan” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list