retardar

[ret̪aɾˈð̞aɾ]

/[ret̪aɾˈð̞aɾ]/ verb

The verdict

“retardar” is an uncommon Spanish word, ranked #74,037 in Spanish word frequency and used as a verb.

#74,037
frequency rank, Spanish
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Hacer que algo ocurra después del tiempo debido o previsto.

Key facts for retardar
PropertyValue
Headwordretardar
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ret̪aɾˈð̞aɾ]
Letters8
Frequency rank#74,037
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “retardar” 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). retardar 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 retardar is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ret̪aɾˈð̞aɾ]. Corpus data places it at rank #74,037 in overall Spanish word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Hacer que algo ocurra después del tiempo debido o previsto.".

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for retardar, suggesting the orthography follows predictable Spanish patterns. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct Spanish form is retardar, spelled R-E-T-A-R-D-A-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Hacer que algo ocurra después del tiempo debido o previsto.

Synonyms

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 "retardar"?
"retardar" is spelled R-E-T-A-R-D-A-R. The IPA pronunciation is [ret̪aɾˈð̞aɾ].
What does "retardar" mean?
As a verb, "retardar" means: Hacer que algo ocurra después del tiempo debido o previsto.
How do you pronounce "retardar"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "retardar" is [ret̪aɾˈð̞aɾ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "retardar" come from?
"retardar" is a Spanish word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “retardar”

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

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is R-E-T-A-R-D-A-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ret̪aɾˈð̞aɾ] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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