problemvsproleWhich spelling fits?

Which to use

“problem” and “prole” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#23,557
“problem” frequency rank
#33,789
“prole” frequency rank
57346
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature problem prole
Definition Problema. Descendencia, linaje o hijos de una persona.

Where the eye mixes problem and prole

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.

7 ch
problem
5 ch
prole

Why the eye confuses problem with prole

A purely visual mix-up. problem (/ˈpɹɒb.ləm/) and prole ([ˈpɾole]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 57346, 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/. prole is at rank #33,789, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈpɾole].

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 57346, this pair ranks #70,860 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of problem vs prole

Shared letters: elopr. Private to "problem": bm. Private to "prole": -.

"problem" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC  ·  "prole" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • problemporblem · pproblem · prbolem · probblem · probelm · problemm · probllem · problme
  • proleporle · pprole · prloe · proel · prolle · prrole · rpole

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "problem" and "prole" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently (/ˈpɹɒb.ləm/ versus [ˈpɾole]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "problem" or "prole"?
"problem" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #23,557 in our Spanish list, against #33,789 for "prole". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

After this comparison

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 "prole" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #70,860 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "problem" and "prole" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "probo 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 #70,860 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list