limitarvslímitesWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: limitar is a verb, límites is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“limitar” is a verb and “límites” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#8,138
“limitar” frequency rank
#2,301
“límites” frequency rank
10439
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature limitar límites
Definition Poner límites a alguna cosa; señalarlos; reducir su extensión. Forma del plural de límite.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set limitar and límites apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
limitar
7 ch
límites

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: limitar is [limiˈt̪aɾ] while límites is [ˈlimit̪es]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 3 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 10439, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

limitar is recorded at frequency rank #8,138, classified as averb, pronounced [limiˈt̪aɾ]. límites is at rank #2,301, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈlimit̪es].

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 10439, this pair ranks #298,616 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of limitar vs límites

Shared letters: ilmt. Private to "limitar": ar. Private to "límites": esí.

"limitar" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC  ·  "límites" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • limitarilmitar · liimtar · limiatr · limitarr · limitra · limittar · limmitar · limtiar

Frequency comparison

limitar#8,138
límites#2,301

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "limitar" and "límites" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "limitar" is a verb and "límites" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "limitar" or "límites"?
"límites" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,301 in our Spanish list, against #8,138 for "limitar". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering limitar vs límites

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “limitar”; for a noun, it's “límites”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “limitar” 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