extranjeravsextranjeroWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#4,163
“extranjera” frequency rank
#1,813
“extranjero” frequency rank
5976
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature extranjera extranjero
Definition Forma del femenino singular de extranjero. Natural de un sitio que no es en el que se encuentra o reside

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set extranjera and extranjero apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

10 ch
extranjera
10 ch
extranjero

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. extranjera ([ekst̪ɾãŋˈxeɾa]) and extranjero ([ekst̪ɾãŋˈxeɾo]) 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 a single letter - a in “extranjera” becomes o in “extranjero”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 5976, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

extranjera is recorded at frequency rank #4,163, classified as anadj, pronounced [ekst̪ɾãŋˈxeɾa]. extranjero is at rank #1,813, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ekst̪ɾãŋˈxeɾo].

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 5976, this pair ranks #312,124 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of extranjera vs extranjero

Shared letters: aejnrtx. Private to "extranjera": -. Private to "extranjero": o.

"extranjera" · 10 letters · shape VCCCVCCVCV  ·  "extranjero" · 10 letters · shape VCCCVCCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • extranjeraetxranjera · exrtanjera · extarnjera · extrajnera · extranejra · extranjear · extranjerra · extranjjera
  • extranjeroetxranjero · exrtanjero · extarnjero · extrajnero · extranejro · extranjeor · extranjerro · extranjjero

Frequency comparison

extranjera#4,163
extranjero#1,813

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "extranjera" and "extranjero" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ekst̪ɾãŋˈxeɾa] versus [ekst̪ɾãŋˈxeɾo]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "extranjera" or "extranjero"?
"extranjero" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,813 in our Spanish list, against #4,163 for "extranjera". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering extranjera vs extranjero

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 “extranjera” 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