Which to use
“dificulta” is a verb and “dificultad” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #15,590
- “dificulta” frequency rank
- #4,238
- “dificultad” frequency rank
- 19828
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | dificulta | dificultad |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de dificultar. | Contrariedad u obstáculo que se interpone en la consecución sin complicaciones de algún fin tal como llevar a cabo algo, llegar a algún lugar o comprender algo. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set dificulta and dificultad apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
dificulta and dificultad form a confusable pair in the Spanish index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “dificulta” sits inside “dificultad” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 19828, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
dificulta is recorded at frequency rank #15,590, classified as averb, pronounced [d̪ifiˈkul̪t̪a]. dificultad is at rank #4,238, tagged as anoun, pronounced [d̪ifikul̪ˈt̪að̞].
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 19828, this pair ranks #262,040 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "dificulta" and "dificultad" be used interchangeably?
Remembering dificulta vs dificultad
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “dificulta”; for a noun, it's “dificultad”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “dificulta” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable