lágrimavslágrimasWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#17,753
“lágrima” frequency rank
#3,493
“lágrimas” frequency rank
21246
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature lágrima lágrimas
Definition Gota de líquido transparente que segregan las glándulas lacrimales y que se desprende del ojo a causa de la irritación o de una emoción intensa. Forma del plural de lágrima.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set lágrima and lágrimas apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
lágrima
8 ch
lágrimas

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. lágrima ([ˈlaɣ̞ɾima]) and lágrimas ([ˈlaɣ̞ɾimas]) 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 1 extra letter(s) - “lágrima” sits inside “lágrimas”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 21246, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

lágrima is recorded at frequency rank #17,753, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈlaɣ̞ɾima]. lágrimas is at rank #3,493, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈlaɣ̞ɾimas].

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 21246, this pair ranks #255,778 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of lágrima vs lágrimas

Shared letters: agilmrá. Private to "lágrima": -. Private to "lágrimas": s.

"lágrima" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV  ·  "lágrimas" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC

Frequency comparison

lágrima#17,753
lágrimas#3,493

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "lágrima" and "lágrimas" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈlaɣ̞ɾima] versus [ˈlaɣ̞ɾimas]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "lágrima" or "lágrimas"?
"lágrimas" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,493 in our Spanish list, against #17,753 for "lágrima". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering lágrima vs lágrimas

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 “lágrima” 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