funciónvsfundaciónWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#1,196
“función” frequency rank
#1,509
“fundación” frequency rank
2705
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature función fundación
Definition Propósito de algo, uso de algo. acción y efecto de fundar

Where the eye mixes función and fundación

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. función runs 7 letters (CVCCVVC) against fundación's 9 (CVCCVCVVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

7 ch
función
9 ch
fundación

Visual trap between función and fundación

A purely visual mix-up. función ([fũnˈsjõn]) and fundación ([fũn̪d̪aˈsjõn]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 2705, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

función is recorded at frequency rank #1,196, classified as anoun, pronounced [fũnˈsjõn]. fundación is at rank #1,509, tagged as anoun, pronounced [fũn̪d̪aˈsjõn].

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 2705, this pair ranks #319,817 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of función vs fundación

Shared letters: cfinuó. Private to "función": -. Private to "fundación": ad.

"función" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVVC  ·  "fundación" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCVVC

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "función" and "fundación" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([fũnˈsjõn] versus [fũn̪d̪aˈsjõn]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "función" or "fundación"?
"función" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,196 in our Spanish list, against #1,509 for "fundación". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

What to do next

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "función" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "fundación" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #319,817 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "función" and "fundación" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "función vs fundió". Nearby pair

Confusion rank #319,817 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list