A simple storybook illustration showing a bright red square block being incorrectly pushed into a round blue hole on a wooden toy board, symbolizing a mistake or error.

error

/eh-ROHR/

NounmA2

error?general, technical, or formal

Also:mistake?more common in everyday speech,flaw?a defect or imperfection

📝 In Action

Cometí un error en el cálculo.

I made an error in the calculation.

El programa de la computadora tiene un error.

The computer program has an error.

Aprender de los errores es muy importante.

Learning from mistakes is very important.

No te preocupes, fue un error sin importancia.

Don't worry, it was an unimportant mistake.

Word Connections

Synonyms

equivocación (mistake)
fallo (failure, flaw)
yerro (error (more formal/poetic))

Antonyms

acierto (correct answer, success)
éxito (success)

Common Collocations

cometer un error – to make a mistake
error humano – human error
margen de error – margin of error
por error – by mistake
error de imprenta – typo, printing error

Idioms & Expressions

salvo error u omisión – errors and omissions excepted (a formal phrase used on documents to indicate the information is believed to be correct but is subject to change if mistakes are found)

💡 Grammar Points

It's a Masculine Word

Even though 'error' doesn't end in -o, it's a masculine noun. Always remember to say 'el error' for 'the error' and 'un error' for 'an error'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

How to Say 'To Make a Mistake'

Mistake: "Hice un error."

Correction: Cometí un error. In Spanish, the verb that naturally goes with 'error' is 'cometer' (to commit), not 'hacer' (to make/do). Using 'hacer' is a very common mistake for English speakers.

⭐ Usage Tips

An Easy Word to Remember

Good news! 'Error' looks and means almost exactly the same as in English. The main difference is the pronunciation. Focus on tapping the 'r' once at the beginning and rolling it for the 'rr' sound at the end: /eh-ROHR/.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: error

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly says 'I made a mistake' in Spanish?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

errar(to err, to make a mistake, to wander) - verb

erróneo(erroneous, incorrect) - adjective

errata(erratum, typo) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'error' and 'equivocación'?

They are very similar and often you can use either one. Think of 'error' as being slightly more formal or technical, like a 'computer error' ('error de sistema'). 'Equivocación' is very common for everyday personal 'mistakes' or misunderstandings. If you're not sure, 'equivocación' is a great choice for everyday conversation.

How do I make 'error' plural?

To make it plural, you just add '-es' to the end: 'los errores' (the errors). For example, 'El informe tiene varios errores' (The report has several errors).