dulcevsDutchWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#1,674
“dulce” frequency rank
#35,475
“Dutch” frequency rank
37149
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature dulce Dutch
Definition Que causa sensación agradable al paladar. Se obtiene por medio del azúcar u otros agentes endulzantes como aspartame, sucralosa, ciclamato, stevia, etc. Holandés; perteneciente o relativo a los Países Bajos, sus habitantes, o al idioma neerlandés.

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
dulce
5 ch
Dutch

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. dulce ([ˈd̪ulse]) and Dutch (/dʌt͡ʃ/) 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 37149, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

dulce is recorded at frequency rank #1,674, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈd̪ulse]. Dutch is at rank #35,475, tagged as anadj, pronounced /dʌt͡ʃ/.

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 37149, this pair ranks #176,837 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of dulce vs Dutch

Shared letters: cdu. Private to "dulce": el. Private to "Dutch": ht.

"dulce" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV  ·  "Dutch" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • dulceddulce · dluce · ducle · dulcce · dulec · dullce · dulse · udlce
  • Dutchddutch · dtuch · ducth · dutcch · dutchh · duthc · duttch · udtch

Frequency comparison

dulce#1,674
Dutch#35,475

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "dulce" and "Dutch" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈd̪ulse] versus /dʌt͡ʃ/) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "dulce" or "Dutch"?
"dulce" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,674 in our Spanish list, against #35,475 for "Dutch". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering dulce vs Dutch

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 “dulce” 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