Which to use
“dad” and “den” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #18,501
- “dad” frequency rank
- #2,020
- “den” frequency rank
- 20521
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | dad | den |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Segunda persona del plural (vosotros, vosotras) del imperativo afirmativo de dar. | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de subjuntivo de dar o de darse. |
Where the eye mixes dad and den
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Look-alike desk: dad vs den
A purely visual mix-up. dad ([ˈd̪að̞]) and den ([ˈd̪ẽn]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 20521, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
dad is recorded at frequency rank #18,501, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈd̪að̞]. den is at rank #2,020, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈd̪ẽn].
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 20521, this pair ranks #258,983 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of dad vs den
Shared letters: d. Private to "dad": a. Private to "den": en.
"dad" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "den" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "dad" for "den" ever safe?
Which is more common, "dad" or "den"?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "dad" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "den" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #258,983 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "dad" and "den" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "dad vs dade". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #258,983 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.