demoliciónvsdevoluciónWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#15,828
“demolición” frequency rank
#10,314
“devolución” frequency rank
26142
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature demolición devolución
Definition Acción o efecto de demoler. Acción de devolver

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set demolición and devolución apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

10 ch
demolición
10 ch
devolución

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. demolición ([d̪emoliˈsjõn]) and devolución ([d̪eβ̞oluˈsjõn]) 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 26142, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

demolición is recorded at frequency rank #15,828, classified as anoun, pronounced [d̪emoliˈsjõn]. devolución is at rank #10,314, tagged as anoun, pronounced [d̪eβ̞oluˈsjõn].

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 26142, this pair ranks #233,091 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of demolición vs devolución

Shared letters: cdeilnoó. Private to "demolición": m. Private to "devolución": uv.

"demolición" · 10 letters · shape CVCVCVCVVC  ·  "devolución" · 10 letters · shape CVCVCVCVVC

Frequency comparison

demolición#15,828
devolución#10,314

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "demolición" and "devolución" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([d̪emoliˈsjõn] versus [d̪eβ̞oluˈsjõn]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "demolición" or "devolución"?
"devolución" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #10,314 in our Spanish list, against #15,828 for "demolición". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering demolición vs devolución

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 “demolición” 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