Which to use
“contrato” is a noun and “controlo” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,261
- “contrato” frequency rank
- #36,491
- “controlo” frequency rank
- 37752
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | contrato | controlo |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Acuerdo de palabra o por escrito mediante el que las partes implicadas se obligan mutuamente a llevar a cabo lo pactado y cuyo incumplimiento puede llevar a su ejecución forzada o a través de algún tipo de autoridad. | Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de indicativo de controlar o de controlarse. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set contrato and controlo 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: contrato is [kõn̪ˈt̪ɾat̪o] while controlo is [kõn̪ˈt̪ɾolo]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 37752, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
contrato is recorded at frequency rank #1,261, classified as anoun, pronounced [kõn̪ˈt̪ɾat̪o]. controlo is at rank #36,491, tagged as averb, pronounced [kõn̪ˈt̪ɾolo].
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 37752, this pair ranks #173,665 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of contrato vs controlo
Shared letters: cnort. Private to "contrato": a. Private to "controlo": l.
"contrato" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVCV · "controlo" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "contrato" and "controlo" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "contrato" or "controlo"?
Remembering contrato vs controlo
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “contrato”; for a verb, it's “controlo”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “contrato” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable