príncipevspríncipesWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: príncipe is a adjective, príncipes is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“príncipe” is an adjective and “príncipes” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#2,091
“príncipe” frequency rank
#12,036
“príncipes” frequency rank
14127
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature príncipe 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 príncipe and príncipes apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
príncipe
9 ch
príncipes

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: príncipe is [ˈpɾĩnsipe] while príncipes is [ˈpɾĩnsipes]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “príncipe” sits inside “príncipes”, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 14127, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

príncipe is recorded at frequency rank #2,091, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈpɾĩnsipe]. 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 14127, this pair ranks #285,302 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of príncipe vs príncipes

Shared letters: ceinprí. Private to "príncipe": -. Private to "príncipes": s.

"príncipe" · 8 letters · shape CCVCCVCV  ·  "príncipes" · 9 letters · shape CCVCCVCVC

Frequency comparison

príncipe#2,091
príncipes#12,036

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "príncipe" and "príncipes" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "príncipe" is an adjective and "príncipes" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "príncipe" or "príncipes"?
"príncipe" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,091 in our Spanish list, against #12,036 for "príncipes". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering príncipe vs príncipes

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “príncipe”; for a noun, it's “príncipes”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “príncipe” 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