Which to use
“problem” and “problema” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #23,557
- “problem” frequency rank
- #250
- “problema” frequency rank
- 23807
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | problem | problema |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Problema. | Asunto cuya solución se debe averiguar |
Where the eye mixes problem and problema
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses problem with problema
A purely visual mix-up. problem (/ˈpɹɒb.ləm/) and problema ([pɾoˈβ̞lema]) 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) - “problem” sits inside “problema”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 23807, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
problem is recorded at frequency rank #23,557, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈpɹɒb.ləm/. problema is at rank #250, tagged as anoun, pronounced [pɾoˈβ̞lema].
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 23807, this pair ranks #244,063 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of problem vs problema
Shared letters: belmopr. Private to "problem": -. Private to "problema": a.
"problem" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC · "problema" · 8 letters · shape CCVCCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "problem" for "problema" ever safe?
Frequency check: "problem" vs "problema" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "problem" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "problema" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #244,063 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "problem" and "problema" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "problem vs problems". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #244,063 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.