ir

[ˈiɾ]

/[ˈiɾ]/ verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“ir” is in the everyday core of Spanish, ranked #186 in Spanish word frequency and used as a verb.

#186
frequency rank, Spanish
2
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Desplazarse de un lugar a otro.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

ir vs is
50% similar
ir vs it
50% similar
ir vs ix
50% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for ir
PropertyValue
Headwordir
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈiɾ]
Letters2
Frequency rank#186
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ir” sits in Spanish frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). ir lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The Spanish entry for ir is 2 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈiɾ]. Corpus data places it at rank #186 in overall Spanish word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 12 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No misspelling variants are generated for ir in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable Spanish rules. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "is", "it", "ix", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct Spanish form is ir, spelled I-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Desplazarse de un lugar a otro.
  2. 2
    En particular, trasladarse hacia una posición más distante con respecto de quien habla.
  3. 3
    Por extensión, dicho de un camino, extenderse hasta un lugar más distante con respecto de quien habla.
  4. 4
    Por extensión, extenderse algo de un punto a otro en el espacio o el tiempo.
  5. 5
    Por extensión, distinguirse una cosa de otra.
  6. 6
    Ir₁ de un lugar a otro y volver al inicial repetidamente.
  7. 7
    Combinar o armonizar el aspecto o diseño de una cosa con otra.
  8. 8
    Desarrollar una acción cualquiera.
  9. 9
    Desempeñar correctamente un aparato la función para la que se está diseñado.
  10. 10
    Abocarse expresamente a ganar una mano de un juego.
  11. 11
    Desarrollarse una acción de manera continuada (con el gerundio del verbo que expresa aquella).
  12. 12
    Experimentar o haber experimentado una determinada acción o situación (con el participio del verbo que expresa aquella).

Synonyms

conducirdirigirsellevardeambularpegarsentaractuarobrarprocederfuncionarmarchar

Antonyms

venir

This word in other languages

go(English)aller(Français)gehen(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 Spanish corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "ir"?
"ir" is spelled I-R. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈiɾ].
What does "ir" mean?
As a verb, "ir" means: Desplazarse de un lugar a otro.
What words are commonly confused with "ir"?
"ir" is commonly confused with "is", "it", "ix". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ir"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ir" is [ˈiɾ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "ir" come from?
"ir" is a Spanish word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “ir”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is I-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈiɾ] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “is” - see the side-by-side comparison. ir vs is
  • Browse more Spanish words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Spanish words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list