pequeñavspequeñasWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#831
“pequeña” frequency rank
#1,647
“pequeñas” frequency rank
2478
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature pequeña pequeñas
Definition Forma del femenino singular de pequeño. Forma del femenino plural de pequeño.

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
pequeña
8 ch
pequeñas

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. pequeña ([peˈkeɲa]) and pequeñas ([peˈkeɲas]) 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 1 extra letter(s) - “pequeña” sits inside “pequeñas”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 2478, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

pequeña is recorded at frequency rank #831, classified as anadj, pronounced [peˈkeɲa]. pequeñas is at rank #1,647, tagged as anadj, pronounced [peˈkeɲas].

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 2478, this pair ranks #320,235 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of pequeña vs pequeñas

Shared letters: aepquñ. Private to "pequeña": -. Private to "pequeñas": s.

"pequeña" · 7 letters · shape CVCVVCV  ·  "pequeñas" · 8 letters · shape CVCVVCVC

Frequency comparison

pequeña#831
pequeñas#1,647

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "pequeña" and "pequeñas" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([peˈkeɲa] versus [peˈkeɲas]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "pequeña" or "pequeñas"?
"pequeña" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #831 in our Spanish list, against #1,647 for "pequeñas". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering pequeña vs pequeñas

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 “pequeña” 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