Which to use
“tardar” is a verb and “tardas” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #10,080
- “tardar” frequency rank
- #31,134
- “tardas” frequency rank
- 41214
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | tardar | tardas |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Ocupar más tiempo del acostumbrado en algo. | Forma del femenino plural de tardo. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set tardar and tardas apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: tardar is [t̪aɾˈð̞aɾ] while tardas is [ˈt̪aɾð̞as]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - r in “tardar” becomes s in “tardas”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 41214, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
tardar is recorded at frequency rank #10,080, classified as averb, pronounced [t̪aɾˈð̞aɾ]. tardas is at rank #31,134, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈt̪aɾð̞as].
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 41214, this pair ranks #154,890 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of tardar vs tardas
Shared letters: adrt. Private to "tardar": -. Private to "tardas": s.
"tardar" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "tardas" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "tardar" and "tardas" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "tardar" or "tardas"?
Remembering tardar vs tardas
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “tardar”; for an adjective, it's “tardas”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “tardar” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable