Which to use
“contratiempo” and “contratiempos” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #31,288
- “contratiempo” frequency rank
- #27,543
- “contratiempos” frequency rank
- 58831
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | contratiempo | contratiempos |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Incidente inoportuno que obstruye el curso normal de algo. | Forma del plural de contratiempo. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set contratiempo and contratiempos apart are highlighted. They share 12 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
contratiempo and contratiempos form a confusable pair in the Spanish index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “contratiempo” sits inside “contratiempos” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 58831, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
contratiempo is recorded at frequency rank #31,288, classified as anoun, pronounced [kõn̪t̪ɾaˈt̪jẽmpo]. contratiempos is at rank #27,543, tagged as anoun, pronounced [kõn̪t̪ɾaˈt̪jẽmpos].
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 58831, this pair ranks #64,982 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "contratiempo" and "contratiempos" be used interchangeably?
Remembering contratiempo vs contratiempos
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 “contratiempo” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable