definanvsdesfilanWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“definan” and “desfilan” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#44,097
“definan” frequency rank
#41,855
“desfilan” frequency rank
85952
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature definan desfilan
Definition Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de subjuntivo de definir o de definirse. Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de desfilar.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set definan and desfilan apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
definan
8 ch
desfilan

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. definan ([d̪eˈfinãn]) and desfilan ([d̪esˈfilãn]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 85952, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

definan is recorded at frequency rank #44,097, classified as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈfinãn]. desfilan is at rank #41,855, tagged as averb, pronounced [d̪esˈfilãn].

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 85952, this pair ranks #5,683 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of definan vs desfilan

Shared letters: adefin. Private to "definan": -. Private to "desfilan": ls.

"definan" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC  ·  "desfilan" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • definanddefinan · deffinan · defiann · definann · definnan · defnian · deifnan · dfeinan
  • desfilanddesfilan · defsilan · desffilan · desfialn · desfilann · desfillan · desfilna · desflian

Frequency comparison

definan#44,097
desfilan#41,855

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "definan" and "desfilan" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([d̪eˈfinãn] versus [d̪esˈfilãn]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "definan" or "desfilan"?
"desfilan" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #41,855 in our Spanish list, against #44,097 for "definan". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering definan vs desfilan

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 “definan” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list