Which to use
“funcionar” is a verb and “funcionario” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,412
- “funcionar” frequency rank
- #3,559
- “funcionario” frequency rank
- 6971
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | funcionar | funcionario |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Realizar la o las funciones para lo que una labor o un mecanismo fue concebido. | Persona que desempeña un empleo público. |
Where the eye mixes funcionar and funcionario
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 9 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between funcionar and funcionario
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: funcionar is [fũnsjoˈnaɾ] while funcionario is [fũnsjoˈnaɾjo]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “funcionar” sits inside “funcionario”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 6971, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
funcionar is recorded at frequency rank #3,412, classified as averb, pronounced [fũnsjoˈnaɾ]. funcionario is at rank #3,559, tagged as anoun, pronounced [fũnsjoˈnaɾjo].
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 6971, this pair ranks #309,297 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of funcionar vs funcionario
Shared letters: acfinoru. Private to "funcionar": -. Private to "funcionario": -.
"funcionar" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVVCVC · "funcionario" · 11 letters · shape CVCCVVCVCVV
Known mistypes of this pair
- funcionar ← ffuncionar · fnucionar · fucnionar · funccionar · funcinoar · funcioanr · funcionarr · funcionnar
- funcionario ← ffuncionario · fnucionario · fucnionario · funccionario · funcinoario · funcioanrio · funcionairo · funcionaroi
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "funcionar" and "funcionario" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "funcionar" or "funcionario" show up more?
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 "funcionar" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "funcionario" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #309,297 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "funcionar" and "funcionario" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "funcionarán vs funcionario". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #309,297 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.