enfermasvsenfermoWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: enfermas is a verb, enfermo is an adjective, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“enfermas” is a verb and “enfermo” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#18,526
“enfermas” frequency rank
#3,117
“enfermo” frequency rank
21643
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature enfermas enfermo
Definition Segunda persona del singular (tú) del presente de indicativo de enfermar. Afectado por algún tipo de quebranto de salud.

Where the spellings diverge

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

8 ch
enfermas
7 ch
enfermo

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: enfermas is [ẽɱˈfeɾmas] while enfermo is [ẽɱˈfeɾmo]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 21643, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

enfermas is recorded at frequency rank #18,526, classified as averb, pronounced [ẽɱˈfeɾmas]. enfermo is at rank #3,117, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ẽɱˈfeɾmo].

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 21643, this pair ranks #253,986 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of enfermas vs enfermo

Shared letters: efmnr. Private to "enfermas": as. Private to "enfermo": o.

"enfermas" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC  ·  "enfermo" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • enfermasefnermas · enefrmas · enfemras · enferams · enfermass · enfermmas · enfermsa · enferrmas
  • enfermoefnermo · enefrmo · enfemro · enfermmo · enferom · enferrmo · enffermo · enfremo

Frequency comparison

enfermas#18,526
enfermo#3,117

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "enfermas" and "enfermo" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "enfermas" is a verb and "enfermo" an adjective, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "enfermas" or "enfermo"?
"enfermo" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,117 in our Spanish list, against #18,526 for "enfermas". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering enfermas vs enfermo

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “enfermas”; for an adjective, it's “enfermo”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “enfermas” 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