síntomavssíntomasWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#11,497
“síntoma” frequency rank
#4,557
“síntomas” frequency rank
16054
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature síntoma síntomas
Definition Variación en la percepción de alguna función orgánica o el estado corporal que un paciente señala a su médico como índice de una patología. Forma del plural de síntoma.

Where the eye mixes síntoma and síntomas

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. síntoma runs 7 letters (CVCCVCV) against síntomas's 8 (CVCCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

7 ch
síntoma
8 ch
síntomas

Why the eye confuses síntoma with síntomas

A purely visual mix-up. síntoma ([ˈsĩn̪t̪oma]) and síntomas ([ˈsĩn̪t̪omas]) 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) - “síntoma” sits inside “síntomas”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 16054, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

síntoma is recorded at frequency rank #11,497, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈsĩn̪t̪oma]. síntomas is at rank #4,557, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈsĩn̪t̪omas].

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 16054, this pair ranks #277,694 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of síntoma vs síntomas

Shared letters: amností. Private to "síntoma": -. Private to "síntomas": -.

"síntoma" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV  ·  "síntomas" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "síntoma" for "síntomas" ever safe?
No. They are said differently ([ˈsĩn̪t̪oma] versus [ˈsĩn̪t̪omas]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "síntoma" vs "síntomas" - which ranks higher?
"síntomas" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,557 in our Spanish list, against #11,497 for "síntoma". 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 "síntoma" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "síntomas" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #277,694 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "síntoma" and "síntomas" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "sintamos vs síntomas". Nearby pair

Confusion rank #277,694 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