Which to use
“tabú” and “tabúes” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #17,828
- “tabú” frequency rank
- #42,720
- “tabúes” frequency rank
- 60548
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | tabú | tabúes |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Veda (prohibición) del contacto, trato o mención de una cosa, persona o animal por razones sociales o rituales, especialmente religiosas. | Forma del plural de tabú. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set tabú and tabúes apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. tabú ([t̪aˈβ̞u]) and tabúes ([t̪aˈβ̞ues]) 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 extra letter(s) - “tabú” sits inside “tabúes”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 60548, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
tabú is recorded at frequency rank #17,828, classified as anoun, pronounced [t̪aˈβ̞u]. tabúes is at rank #42,720, tagged as anoun, pronounced [t̪aˈβ̞ues].
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 60548, this pair ranks #58,553 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of tabú vs tabúes
Shared letters: abtú. Private to "tabú": -. Private to "tabúes": es.
"tabú" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "tabúes" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "tabú" and "tabúes" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "tabú" or "tabúes"?
Remembering tabú vs tabúes
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “tabú” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable