intensovsintrusoWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#5,119
“intenso” frequency rank
#29,263
“intruso” frequency rank
34382
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature intenso intruso
Definition Que tiene o se hace con intensidad. Que se introduce o se ha metido secretamente o sin derecho.

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
intenso
7 ch
intruso

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. intenso ([ĩn̪ˈt̪ẽnso]) and intruso ([ĩn̪ˈt̪ɾuso]) 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 34382, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

intenso is recorded at frequency rank #5,119, classified as anadj, pronounced [ĩn̪ˈt̪ẽnso]. intruso is at rank #29,263, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ĩn̪ˈt̪ɾuso].

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 34382, this pair ranks #191,748 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of intenso vs intruso

Shared letters: inost. Private to "intenso": e. Private to "intruso": ru.

"intenso" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCV  ·  "intruso" · 7 letters · shape VCCCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • intensoinetnso · inntenso · intennso · intenos · intensso · intesno · intneso · inttenso
  • intrusoinntruso · inrtuso · intrruso · intrsuo · intruos · inttruso · inturso · itnruso

Frequency comparison

intenso#5,119
intruso#29,263

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "intenso" and "intruso" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ĩn̪ˈt̪ẽnso] versus [ĩn̪ˈt̪ɾuso]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "intenso" or "intruso"?
"intenso" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #5,119 in our Spanish list, against #29,263 for "intruso". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering intenso vs intruso

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 “intenso” 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