fortunavsfortuneWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#3,705
“fortuna” frequency rank
#38,717
“fortune” frequency rank
42422
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature fortuna fortune
Definition Causa fortuita o de origen indeterminado de cualquier hecho. Fortuna.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set fortuna and fortune apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
fortuna
7 ch
fortune

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. fortuna ([foɾˈt̪una]) and fortune (/fɔʁ.tyn/) 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 “fortuna” becomes e in “fortune”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 42422, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

fortuna is recorded at frequency rank #3,705, classified as anoun, pronounced [foɾˈt̪una]. fortune is at rank #38,717, tagged as anoun, pronounced /fɔʁ.tyn/.

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 42422, this pair ranks #148,291 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of fortuna vs fortune

Shared letters: fnortu. Private to "fortuna": a. Private to "fortune": e.

"fortuna" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV  ·  "fortune" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • fortunaffortuna · forrtuna · fortnua · forttuna · fortuan · fortunna · forutna · fotruna
  • fortuneffortune · forrtune · fortnue · forttune · fortuen · fortunne · forutne · fotrune

Frequency comparison

fortuna#3,705
fortune#38,717

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "fortuna" and "fortune" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([foɾˈt̪una] versus /fɔʁ.tyn/) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "fortuna" or "fortune"?
"fortuna" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,705 in our Spanish list, against #38,717 for "fortune". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering fortuna vs fortune

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 “fortuna” 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