Which to use
“principales” is an adjective and “príncipes” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #728
- “principales” frequency rank
- #12,036
- “príncipes” frequency rank
- 12764
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | principales | príncipes |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Forma del plural de principal. | Forma del plural de príncipe. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set principales and príncipes apart are highlighted. They share 8 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: principales is [pɾĩnsiˈpales] while príncipes is [ˈpɾĩnsipes]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 12764, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
principales is recorded at frequency rank #728, classified as anadj, pronounced [pɾĩnsiˈpales]. 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 12764, this pair ranks #290,372 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of principales vs príncipes
Shared letters: ceinprs. Private to "principales": al. Private to "príncipes": í.
"principales" · 11 letters · shape CCVCCVCVCVC · "príncipes" · 9 letters · shape CCVCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- principales ← pirncipales · pprincipales · pricnipales · princcipales · princiaples · principaels · principaless · principalles
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "principales" and "príncipes" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "principales" or "príncipes"?
Remembering principales vs príncipes
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “principales”; for a noun, it's “príncipes”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “principales” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable