toleranvstolerarWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#34,809
“toleran” frequency rank
#12,265
“tolerar” frequency rank
47074
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature toleran tolerar
Definition Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de tolerar. Poner el ánimo en situación de vivir y resistir una situación incómoda, molesta o de sufrimiento.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set toleran and tolerar apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
toleran
7 ch
tolerar

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. toleran ([t̪oˈleɾãn]) and tolerar ([t̪oleˈɾaɾ]) 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 a single letter - n in “toleran” becomes r in “tolerar”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 47074, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

toleran is recorded at frequency rank #34,809, classified as averb, pronounced [t̪oˈleɾãn]. tolerar is at rank #12,265, tagged as averb, pronounced [t̪oleˈɾaɾ].

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 47074, this pair ranks #122,086 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of toleran vs tolerar

Shared letters: aelort. Private to "toleran": n. Private to "tolerar": -.

"toleran" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC  ·  "tolerar" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • toleranotleran · tloeran · toelran · tolearn · tolerann · tolerna · tolerran · tolleran
  • tolerarotlerar · tloerar · toelrar · tolearr · tolerarr · tolerra · tolerrar · tollerar

Frequency comparison

toleran#34,809
tolerar#12,265

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "toleran" and "tolerar" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([t̪oˈleɾãn] versus [t̪oleˈɾaɾ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "toleran" or "tolerar"?
"tolerar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #12,265 in our Spanish list, against #34,809 for "toleran". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering toleran vs tolerar

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 “toleran” 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