problemáticasvsproblemáticoTell them apart

Which to use

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

#16,684
“problemáticas” frequency rank
#18,049
“problemático” frequency rank
34733
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature problemáticas problemático
Definition Forma del femenino plural de problemático. Que presenta un problema, que es difícil de solucionar o resolver.

Where the eye mixes problemáticas and problemático

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 11 letters in sequence. problemáticas runs 13 letters (CCVCCVCVCVCVC) against problemático's 12 (CCVCCVCVCVCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

13 ch
problemáticas
12 ch
problemático

Visual trap between problemáticas and problemático

A purely visual mix-up. problemáticas ([pɾoβ̞leˈmat̪ikas]) and problemático ([pɾoβ̞leˈmat̪iko]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 34733, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

problemáticas is recorded at frequency rank #16,684, classified as anadj, pronounced [pɾoβ̞leˈmat̪ikas]. problemático is at rank #18,049, tagged as anadj, pronounced [pɾoβ̞leˈmat̪iko].

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 34733, this pair ranks #189,849 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of problemáticas vs problemático

Shared letters: bceilmoprtá. Private to "problemáticas": as. Private to "problemático": -.

"problemáticas" · 13 letters · shape CCVCCVCVCVCVC  ·  "problemático" · 12 letters · shape CCVCCVCVCVCV

Frequently Asked Questions

Do "problemáticas" and "problemático" mean the same thing in a sentence?
No. They are said differently ([pɾoβ̞leˈmat̪ikas] versus [pɾoβ̞leˈmat̪iko]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
In ordinary Spanish text, does "problemáticas" or "problemático" show up more?
"problemáticas" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #16,684 in our Spanish list, against #18,049 for "problemático". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

What to do next

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "problemáticas" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "problemático" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #189,849 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "problemáticas" and "problemático" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "problemático vs problemáticos". Nearby pair

Confusion rank #189,849 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