Which to use
“problem” and “problems” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #23,557
- “problem” frequency rank
- #43,789
- “problems” frequency rank
- 67346
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | problem | problems |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Problema. | Forma del plural de problem ('problemas'). |
Where the eye mixes problem and problems
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses problem with problems
A purely visual mix-up. problem (/ˈpɹɒb.ləm/) and problems (/ˈpɹɒb.ləmz/) 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 “problems”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 67346, 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/. problems is at rank #43,789, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈpɹɒb.ləmz/.
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 67346, this pair ranks #37,365 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of problem vs problems
Shared letters: belmopr. Private to "problem": -. Private to "problems": s.
"problem" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC · "problems" · 8 letters · shape CCVCCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "problem" and "problems" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "problem" or "problems"?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "problem" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "problems" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #37,365 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "problem" and "problems" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "problem vs prole". 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 #37,365 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.