fácildíficil

Fácildíficil is a neologism used in linguistic, cognitive science, and education discourse to describe situations, statements, or objects that embody a paradox of ease and difficulty. The term denotes a contrast between superficial simplicity and underlying complexity, or between the ease of recognizing a concept and the effort required to apply it.

Etymology: The word fácildíficil blends fácil and difícil, the Spanish or Portuguese words for easy and difficult, with accent marks that visually separate the two components and reinforce the dual meaning. It is not an established lexeme in any standard language but a coined expression used in academic and media discussions.

Usage: It appears in analyses of instructions, puzzles, and interface design to highlight misalignment between labeling and task demand. In cognitive psychology, it serves as a case study of how labeling can influence perceived difficulty and performance. In education, it can illustrate tasks that appear simple but require multi-step reasoning or extensive interpretation.

Examples: A puzzle is presented as a quick win; however solving it requires recognizing a non-obvious rule that applies across many items. A form is labeled easy start, but completion demands extensive data entry and cross-checking. These cases are described as fácildíficil because they challenge assumptions about task complexity.

See also: paradox of easy and hard, cognitive bias, task design, linguistic portmanteau.