ficharvsfijarWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#21,338
“fichar” frequency rank
#8,802
“fijar” frequency rank
30140
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature fichar fijar
Definition Observar con atención. Poner una cosa de tal forma que no se mueva.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set fichar and fijar apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
fichar
5 ch
fijar

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. fichar ([fiˈt͡ʃaɾ]) and fijar ([fiˈxaɾ]) 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 30140, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

fichar is recorded at frequency rank #21,338, classified as averb, pronounced [fiˈt͡ʃaɾ]. fijar is at rank #8,802, tagged as averb, pronounced [fiˈxaɾ].

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 30140, this pair ranks #213,478 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of fichar vs fijar

Shared letters: afir. Private to "fichar": ch. Private to "fijar": j.

"fichar" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "fijar" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • ficharfcihar · ffichar · ficahr · ficchar · ficharr · fichhar · fichra · fihcar
  • fijarffijar · fiajr · fijarr · fijjar · fijra · fjiar · ifjar

Frequency comparison

fichar#21,338
fijar#8,802

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "fichar" and "fijar" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([fiˈt͡ʃaɾ] versus [fiˈxaɾ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "fichar" or "fijar"?
"fijar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #8,802 in our Spanish list, against #21,338 for "fichar". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering fichar vs fijar

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 “fichar” 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