figurarvsfiltrarWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#18,836
“figurar” frequency rank
#16,339
“filtrar” frequency rank
35175
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature figurar filtrar
Definition Disponer, delinear y formar la figura de una cosa. Hacer pasar un líquido por un filtro.

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
figurar
7 ch
filtrar

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. figurar ([fiɣ̞uˈɾaɾ]) 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 share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 35175, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

figurar is recorded at frequency rank #18,836, classified as averb, pronounced [fiɣ̞uˈɾaɾ]. 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 35175, this pair ranks #187,497 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of figurar vs filtrar

Shared letters: afir. Private to "figurar": gu. Private to "filtrar": lt.

"figurar" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC  ·  "filtrar" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • figurarffigurar · fgiurar · figgurar · figruar · figuarr · figurarr · figurrar · fiugrar
  • filtrarffiltrar · filltrar · filrtar · filtarr · filtrarr · filtrra · filtrrar · filttrar

Frequency comparison

figurar#18,836
filtrar#16,339

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "figurar" and "filtrar" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([fiɣ̞uˈɾaɾ] versus [fil̪ˈt̪ɾaɾ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "figurar" or "filtrar"?
"filtrar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #16,339 in our Spanish list, against #18,836 for "figurar". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering figurar 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 “figurar” 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