delfínvsdelfinesWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#16,551
“delfín” frequency rank
#15,337
“delfines” frequency rank
31888
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature delfín delfines
Definition (familia Delphinidae) Cualquiera de varias especies de mamíferos marinos del orden de los cetáceos. Miden entre 2 y 9 metros de largo, con el cuerpo fusiforme y la cabeza grande, el hocico alargado y una única narina en la parte superior de la cabeza; la piel es normalmente gris y glabra. Son carnívoros. Se cuentan entre los más inteligentes de los animales, formando complejos sistemas sociales y comunicándose por ultrasonido. Habitan en aguas templadas y tropicales de todo el globo. Forma del plural de delfín.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set delfín and delfines apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
delfín
8 ch
delfines

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. delfín ([d̪elˈfĩn]) and delfines ([d̪elˈfines]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 31888, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

delfín is recorded at frequency rank #16,551, classified as anoun, pronounced [d̪elˈfĩn]. delfines is at rank #15,337, tagged as anoun, pronounced [d̪elˈfines].

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 31888, this pair ranks #204,807 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of delfín vs delfines

Shared letters: defln. Private to "delfín": í. Private to "delfines": is.

"delfín" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "delfines" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • delfinesddelfines · deflines · delffines · delfiens · delfiness · delfinnes · delfinse · delfnies

Frequency comparison

delfín#16,551
delfines#15,337

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "delfín" and "delfines" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([d̪elˈfĩn] versus [d̪elˈfines]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "delfín" or "delfines"?
"delfines" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #15,337 in our Spanish list, against #16,551 for "delfín". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering delfín vs delfines

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 “delfín” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list