Which to use
“ocultar” is a verb and “oculto” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #5,023
- “ocultar” frequency rank
- #7,761
- “oculto” frequency rank
- 12784
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ocultar | oculto |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Esconder algo a la vista. | Que está tapado, cubierto y por lo tanto no se puede ver. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ocultar and oculto apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: ocultar is [okul̪ˈt̪aɾ] while oculto is [oˈkul̪t̪o]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 12784, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ocultar is recorded at frequency rank #5,023, classified as averb, pronounced [okul̪ˈt̪aɾ]. oculto is at rank #7,761, tagged as anadj, pronounced [oˈkul̪t̪o].
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 12784, this pair ranks #290,293 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of ocultar vs oculto
Shared letters: clotu. Private to "ocultar": ar. Private to "oculto": -.
"ocultar" · 7 letters · shape VCVCCVC · "oculto" · 6 letters · shape VCVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ocultar" and "oculto" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "ocultar" or "oculto"?
Remembering ocultar vs oculto
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “ocultar”; for an adjective, it's “oculto”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “ocultar” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable