quedavsquieraWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: queda is a noun, quiera is a verb, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“queda” is a noun and “quiera” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#437
“queda” frequency rank
#1,122
“quiera” frequency rank
1559
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature queda quiera
Definition Hora de la noche, señalada en algunos pueblos, especialmente las plazas cerradas, para que todos se recojan, lo cual se avisa con la campana. Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de subjuntivo de querer.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set queda and quiera apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
queda
6 ch
quiera

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

queda and quiera form a confusable pair in the Spanish index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 1559, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

queda is recorded at frequency rank #437, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈkeð̞a]. quiera is at rank #1,122, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈkjeɾa].

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 1559, this pair ranks #321,831 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

queda#437
quiera#1,122

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "queda" and "quiera" be used interchangeably?
No, "queda" and "quiera" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering queda vs quiera

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “queda”; for a verb, it's “quiera”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “queda” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list