encantarvsencararWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#18,236
“encantar” frequency rank
#16,569
“encarar” frequency rank
34805
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature encantar encarar
Definition En los cuentos para niños y en algunos mitos, someter a una persona a poderes mágicos malignos. Apuntar, dirigir a alguna parte la puntería.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set encantar and encarar apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
encantar
7 ch
encarar

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. encantar ([ẽŋkãn̪ˈt̪aɾ]) and encarar ([ẽŋkaˈɾaɾ]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 34805, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

encantar is recorded at frequency rank #18,236, classified as averb, pronounced [ẽŋkãn̪ˈt̪aɾ]. encarar is at rank #16,569, tagged as averb, pronounced [ẽŋkaˈɾaɾ].

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 34805, this pair ranks #189,493 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of encantar vs encarar

Shared letters: acenr. Private to "encantar": t. Private to "encarar": -.

"encantar" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC  ·  "encarar" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • encantarecnantar · enacntar · encanatr · encanntar · encantarr · encantra · encanttar · encatnar
  • encararecnarar · enacrar · encaarr · encararr · encarra · encarrar · enccarar · encraar

Frequency comparison

encantar#18,236
encarar#16,569

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "encantar" and "encarar" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ẽŋkãn̪ˈt̪aɾ] versus [ẽŋkaˈɾaɾ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "encantar" or "encarar"?
"encarar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #16,569 in our Spanish list, against #18,236 for "encantar". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering encantar vs encarar

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 “encantar” 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