extensionvsextensoWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: extension is a noun, extenso is an adjective, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“extension” is a noun and “extenso” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#32,661
“extension” frequency rank
#7,718
“extenso” frequency rank
40379
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature extension extenso
Definition Extensión. que tiene extensión

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set extension and extenso apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
extension
7 ch
extenso

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: extension is [ɛk.stɑ̃.sjɔ̃] while extenso is [eksˈt̪ẽnso]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 40379, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

extension is recorded at frequency rank #32,661, classified as anoun, pronounced [ɛk.stɑ̃.sjɔ̃]. extenso is at rank #7,718, tagged as anadj, pronounced [eksˈt̪ẽnso].

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 40379, this pair ranks #159,420 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of extension vs extenso

Shared letters: enostx. Private to "extension": i. Private to "extenso": -.

"extension" · 9 letters · shape VCCVCCVVC  ·  "extenso" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • extensionetxension · exetnsion · extencion · extenison · extennsion · extensino · extensionn · extensoin
  • extensoetxenso · exetnso · extennso · extenos · extensso · extesno · extneso · exttenso

Frequency comparison

extension#32,661
extenso#7,718

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "extension" and "extenso" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "extension" is a noun and "extenso" an adjective, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "extension" or "extenso"?
"extenso" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #7,718 in our Spanish list, against #32,661 for "extension". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering extension vs extenso

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “extension”; for an adjective, it's “extenso”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “extension” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list