faltarvsfiltrarWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#7,023
“faltar” frequency rank
#16,339
“filtrar” frequency rank
23362
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature faltar filtrar
Definition No estar en un sitio. Hacer pasar un líquido por un filtro.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set faltar and filtrar apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
faltar
7 ch
filtrar

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. faltar ([fal̪ˈt̪aɾ]) and filtrar ([fil̪ˈt̪ɾaɾ]) 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 23362, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

faltar is recorded at frequency rank #7,023, classified as averb, pronounced [fal̪ˈt̪aɾ]. filtrar is at rank #16,339, tagged as averb, pronounced [fil̪ˈt̪ɾaɾ].

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 23362, this pair ranks #246,147 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of faltar vs filtrar

Shared letters: aflrt. Private to "faltar": -. Private to "filtrar": i.

"faltar" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "filtrar" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • faltarafltar · falatr · falltar · faltarr · faltra · falttar · fatlar · ffaltar
  • filtrarffiltrar · filltrar · filrtar · filtarr · filtrarr · filtrra · filtrrar · filttrar

Frequency comparison

faltar#7,023
filtrar#16,339

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "faltar" and "filtrar" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([fal̪ˈt̪aɾ] versus [fil̪ˈt̪ɾaɾ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "faltar" or "filtrar"?
"faltar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #7,023 in our Spanish list, against #16,339 for "filtrar". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering faltar vs filtrar

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 “faltar” 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