Which to use
“ultima” is a verb and “ultimate” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #4,843
- “ultima” frequency rank
- #28,593
- “ultimate” frequency rank
- 33436
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ultima | ultimate |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de ultimar. | Final, último de una serie. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ultima and ultimate apart are highlighted. They share 6 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: ultima is [ul̪ˈt̪ima] while ultimate is /ˈʌl.tɪ.mɪt/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “ultima” sits inside “ultimate”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 33436, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ultima is recorded at frequency rank #4,843, classified as averb, pronounced [ul̪ˈt̪ima]. ultimate is at rank #28,593, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ˈʌl.tɪ.mɪt/.
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 33436, this pair ranks #196,820 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of ultima vs ultimate
Shared letters: ailmtu. Private to "ultima": -. Private to "ultimate": e.
"ultima" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCV · "ultimate" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ultima" and "ultimate" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "ultima" or "ultimate"?
Remembering ultima vs ultimate
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “ultima”; for an adjective, it's “ultimate”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “ultima” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable