patatavspatatasWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#16,664
“patata” frequency rank
#9,340
“patatas” frequency rank
26004
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature patata patatas
Definition (Solanum tuberosum) Planta herbácea, caducifolia, de la familia de las solanáceas, de tallo erecto o decumbente de hasta 1 m de largo, hojas imparipinnadas, de foliolos lanceolados, pilosas, y flores en inflorescencias terminales racemosas, de pétalos fusionados de color blanco a púrpura, que fructifican en pequeñas bayas. Se la aprecia por los tubérculos que produce su sistema radical, muy usados en gastronomía. Forma del plural de patata.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set patata and patatas apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
patata
7 ch
patatas

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

patata and patatas form a confusable pair in the Spanish index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “patata” sits inside “patatas” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 26004, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

patata is recorded at frequency rank #16,664, classified as anoun, pronounced [paˈt̪at̪a]. patatas is at rank #9,340, tagged as anoun, pronounced [paˈt̪at̪as].

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 26004, this pair ranks #233,798 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Frequency comparison

patata#16,664
patatas#9,340

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "patata" and "patatas" be used interchangeably?
No, "patata" and "patatas" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering patata vs patatas

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 “patata” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list