Which to use
“principal” is an adjective and “príncipes” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #541
- “principal” frequency rank
- #12,036
- “príncipes” frequency rank
- 12577
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | principal | príncipes |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Primero en rango, importancia o jerarquía dentro de un conjunto. | Forma del plural de príncipe. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set principal and príncipes apart are highlighted. They share 6 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: principal is [pɾĩnsiˈpal] while príncipes is [ˈpɾĩnsipes]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 3 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 12577, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
principal is recorded at frequency rank #541, classified as anadj, pronounced [pɾĩnsiˈpal]. príncipes is at rank #12,036, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈpɾĩnsipes].
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 12577, this pair ranks #291,039 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of principal vs príncipes
Shared letters: cinpr. Private to "principal": al. Private to "príncipes": esí.
"principal" · 9 letters · shape CCVCCVCVC · "príncipes" · 9 letters · shape CCVCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- principal ← pirncipal · pprincipal · pricnipal · princcipal · princiapl · principall · principla · princippal
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "principal" and "príncipes" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "principal" or "príncipes"?
Remembering principal vs príncipes
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “principal”; for a noun, it's “príncipes”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “principal” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable