desigualvsdesigualesWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#12,798
“desigual” frequency rank
#25,606
“desiguales” frequency rank
38404
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature desigual desiguales
Definition Que no tiene las mismas características que otro ser en cuanto a su naturaleza, tamaño, calidad, cantidad, aspecto, etc. Forma del plural de desigual.

Where the spellings diverge

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

8 ch
desigual
10 ch
desiguales

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. desigual ([d̪esiˈɣ̞wal]) and desiguales ([d̪esiˈɣ̞wales]) 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 extra letter(s) - “desigual” sits inside “desiguales”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38404, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

desigual is recorded at frequency rank #12,798, classified as anadj, pronounced [d̪esiˈɣ̞wal]. desiguales is at rank #25,606, tagged as anadj, pronounced [d̪esiˈɣ̞wales].

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 38404, this pair ranks #170,215 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of desigual vs desiguales

Shared letters: adegilsu. Private to "desigual": -. Private to "desiguales": -.

"desigual" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCVVC  ·  "desiguales" · 10 letters · shape CVCVCVVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • desigualddesigual · decigual · deisgual · desgiual · desigaul · desiggual · desiguall · desigula
  • desigualesddesiguales · deciguales · deisguales · desgiuales · desigaules · desigguales · desiguaels · desigualess

Frequency comparison

desigual#12,798
desiguales#25,606

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "desigual" and "desiguales" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([d̪esiˈɣ̞wal] versus [d̪esiˈɣ̞wales]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "desigual" or "desiguales"?
"desigual" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #12,798 in our Spanish list, against #25,606 for "desiguales". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering desigual vs desiguales

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 “desigual” 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