Which to use
“controversial” is an adjective and “controversias” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #22,626
- “controversial” frequency rank
- #12,349
- “controversias” frequency rank
- 34975
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | controversial | controversias |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Dicho de un asunto: que siempre es motivo de debate y que da lugar a posturas contrapuestas. | Forma del plural de controversia. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set controversial and controversias apart are highlighted. They share 12 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: controversial is [kõn̪t̪ɾoβ̞eɾˈsjal] while controversias is [kõn̪t̪ɾoˈβ̞eɾsjas]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - l in “controversial” becomes s in “controversias”, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 34975, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
controversial is recorded at frequency rank #22,626, classified as anadj, pronounced [kõn̪t̪ɾoβ̞eɾˈsjal]. controversias is at rank #12,349, tagged as anoun, pronounced [kõn̪t̪ɾoˈβ̞eɾsjas].
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 34975, this pair ranks #188,525 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of controversial vs controversias
Shared letters: aceinorstv. Private to "controversial": l. Private to "controversias": -.
"controversial" · 13 letters · shape CVCCCVCVCCVVC · "controversias" · 13 letters · shape CVCCCVCVCCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- controversial ← ccontroversial · cnotroversial · conntroversial · conrtoversial · contorversial · controbersial · controevrsial · controvercial
- controversias ← ccontroversias · cnotroversias · conntroversias · conrtoversias · contorversias · controbersias · controevrsias · controvercias
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "controversial" and "controversias" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "controversial" or "controversias"?
Remembering controversial vs controversias
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “controversial”; for a noun, it's “controversias”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “controversial” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable