molestarvsmolestasWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#7,759
“molestar” frequency rank
#19,497
“molestas” frequency rank
27256
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature molestar molestas
Definition Causar molestias o incomodidades de alguna clase. Segunda persona del singular (tú) del presente de indicativo de molestar.

Where the spellings diverge

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

8 ch
molestar
8 ch
molestas

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. molestar ([molesˈt̪aɾ]) and molestas ([moˈlest̪as]) 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 a single letter - r in “molestar” becomes s in “molestas”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 27256, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

molestar is recorded at frequency rank #7,759, classified as averb, pronounced [molesˈt̪aɾ]. molestas is at rank #19,497, tagged as averb, pronounced [moˈlest̪as].

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 27256, this pair ranks #227,732 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of molestar vs molestas

Shared letters: aelmost. Private to "molestar": r. Private to "molestas": -.

"molestar" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC  ·  "molestas" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • molestarmloestar · mmolestar · moelstar · molesatr · molesstar · molestarr · molestra · molesttar
  • molestasmloestas · mmolestas · moelstas · molesats · molesstas · molestass · molestsa · molesttas

Frequency comparison

molestar#7,759
molestas#19,497

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "molestar" and "molestas" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([molesˈt̪aɾ] versus [moˈlest̪as]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "molestar" or "molestas"?
"molestar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #7,759 in our Spanish list, against #19,497 for "molestas". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering molestar vs molestas

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 “molestar” 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