Which to use
“enfocar” and “enfriar” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #19,098
- “enfocar” frequency rank
- #24,140
- “enfriar” frequency rank
- 43238
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | enfocar | enfriar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Ajustar la imagen de un objeto captada por un dispositivo o aparato óptico para que se reproduzca con claridad o nitidez. | Poner o hacer que se ponga fría una cosa. |
Where the eye mixes enfocar and enfriar
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. enfocar (VCCVCVC) and enfriar (VCCCVVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: enfocar vs enfriar
A purely visual mix-up. enfocar ([ẽɱfoˈkaɾ]) and enfriar ([ẽɱˈfɾjaɾ]) 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 43238, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
enfocar is recorded at frequency rank #19,098, classified as averb, pronounced [ẽɱfoˈkaɾ]. enfriar is at rank #24,140, tagged as averb, pronounced [ẽɱˈfɾjaɾ].
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 43238, this pair ranks #143,776 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of enfocar vs enfriar
Shared letters: aefnr. Private to "enfocar": co. Private to "enfriar": i.
"enfocar" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCVC · "enfriar" · 7 letters · shape VCCCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "enfocar" and "enfriar" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "enfocar" or "enfriar"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "enfocar" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "enfriar" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #143,776 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "enfocar" and "enfriar" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "enfadar vs enfriar". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #143,776 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.