multavsmultarConfusable pair

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

Which to use

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

#4,355
“multa” frequency rank
#36,696
“multar” frequency rank
41051
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature multa multar
Definition Sanción económica que la autoridad hacendaria impone a los contribuyentes que en alguna forma han infringido la ley. Imponer una multa a causa de un delito menor o falta cometida.

Where the eye mixes multa and multar

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.

5 ch
multa
6 ch
multar

Why the eye confuses multa with multar

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: multa is [ˈmul̪t̪a] while multar is [mul̪ˈt̪aɾ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “multa” sits inside “multar”, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 41051, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

multa is recorded at frequency rank #4,355, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈmul̪t̪a]. multar is at rank #36,696, tagged as averb, pronounced [mul̪ˈt̪aɾ].

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 41051, this pair ranks #155,761 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of multa vs multar

Shared letters: almtu. Private to "multa": -. Private to "multar": r.

"multa" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV  ·  "multar" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • multamluta · mmulta · mulat · mullta · multta · mutla · umlta
  • multarmlutar · mmultar · mulatr · mulltar · multarr · multra · multtar · mutlar

Frequently Asked Questions

Do "multa" and "multar" mean the same thing in a sentence?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "multa" is a noun and "multar" a verb, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
In ordinary Spanish text, does "multa" or "multar" show up more?
"multa" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,355 in our Spanish list, against #36,696 for "multar". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

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 "multa" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "multar" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #155,761 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "multa" and "multar" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "multado vs multar". Nearby pair
  • Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes

Confusion rank #155,761 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list