Which to use
“inútil” and “inútiles” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #4,086
- “inútil” frequency rank
- #8,013
- “inútiles” frequency rank
- 12099
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | inútil | inútiles |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Aquello que no es útil, no sirve o no cumple su función. | Forma del plural de inútil. |
Where the eye mixes inútil and inútiles
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. inútil runs 6 letters (VCVCVC) against inútiles's 8 (VCVCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between inútil and inútiles
A purely visual mix-up. inútil ([iˈnut̪il]) and inútiles ([iˈnut̪iles]) 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 extra letter(s) - “inútil” sits inside “inútiles”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 12099, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
inútil is recorded at frequency rank #4,086, classified as anadj, pronounced [iˈnut̪il]. inútiles is at rank #8,013, tagged as anadj, pronounced [iˈnut̪iles].
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 12099, this pair ranks #292,738 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of inútil vs inútiles
Shared letters: ilntú. Private to "inútil": -. Private to "inútiles": es.
"inútil" · 6 letters · shape VCVCVC · "inútiles" · 8 letters · shape VCVCVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "inútil" for "inútiles" ever safe?
Which is more common, "inútil" or "inútiles"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "inútil" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "inútiles" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #292,738 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "inútil" and "inútiles" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "inti vs inútil". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #292,738 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.