Which to use
“tardar” is a verb and “tardías” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #10,080
- “tardar” frequency rank
- #45,038
- “tardías” frequency rank
- 55118
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | tardar | tardías |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Ocupar más tiempo del acostumbrado en algo. | Forma del femenino plural de tardío. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set tardar and tardías 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 tardías is [t̪aɾˈð̞ias]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 55118, 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]. tardías is at rank #45,038, tagged as anadj, pronounced [t̪aɾˈð̞ias].
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 55118, this pair ranks #80,325 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of tardar vs tardías
Shared letters: adrt. Private to "tardar": -. Private to "tardías": sí.
"tardar" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "tardías" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- tardar ← atrdar · tadrar · taradr · tardarr · tarddar · tardra · tarrdar · tradar
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "tardar" and "tardías" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "tardar" or "tardías"?
Remembering tardar vs tardías
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 “tardías”.
- 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