Which to use
“cortaba” is a verb and “cortado” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #29,567
- “cortaba” frequency rank
- #8,360
- “cortado” frequency rank
- 37927
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | cortaba | cortado |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de cortar o de cortarse. | Se dice de la persona de carácter tímido y retraído. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set cortaba and cortado apart are highlighted. They share 5 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: cortaba is [koɾˈt̪aβ̞a] while cortado is [koɾˈt̪að̞o]. 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 (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 37927, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
cortaba is recorded at frequency rank #29,567, classified as averb, pronounced [koɾˈt̪aβ̞a]. cortado is at rank #8,360, tagged as anadj, pronounced [koɾˈt̪að̞o].
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 37927, this pair ranks #172,721 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of cortaba vs cortado
Shared letters: acort. Private to "cortaba": b. Private to "cortado": d.
"cortaba" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV · "cortado" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "cortaba" and "cortado" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "cortaba" or "cortado"?
Remembering cortaba vs cortado
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “cortaba”; for an adjective, it's “cortado”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “cortaba” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable