duchavsduelaWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#5,953
“ducha” frequency rank
#17,414
“duela” frequency rank
23367
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature ducha duela
Definition Acción o efecto de duchar o de ducharse. Cada una de las tablas generalmente encorvadas, de que se componen las pipas, cubas, barriles, toneles, etc.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ducha and duela apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
ducha
5 ch
duela

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. ducha ([ˈd̪ut͡ʃa]) and duela ([ˈd̪wela]) 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 23367, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

ducha is recorded at frequency rank #5,953, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈd̪ut͡ʃa]. duela is at rank #17,414, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈd̪wela].

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 23367, this pair ranks #246,120 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of ducha vs duela

Shared letters: adu. Private to "ducha": ch. Private to "duela": el.

"ducha" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV  ·  "duela" · 5 letters · shape CVVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • duchadcuha · dducha · ducah · duccha · duchha · duhca · udcha
  • dueladduela · deula · dueal · duella · dulea · udela

Frequency comparison

ducha#5,953
duela#17,414

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "ducha" and "duela" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈd̪ut͡ʃa] versus [ˈd̪wela]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "ducha" or "duela"?
"ducha" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #5,953 in our Spanish list, against #17,414 for "duela". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering ducha vs duela

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 “ducha” 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