retornar

[ret̪oɾˈnaɾ]

/[ret̪oɾˈnaɾ]/ verb

The verdict

“retornar” is a moderately-common Spanish word, ranked #20,808 in Spanish word frequency and used as a verb.

#20,808
frequency rank, Spanish
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Volver una persona o una cosa al lugar o situación en que estaba antes.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

retornar vs retorno
75% similar
retornar vs retornos
75% similar
retornar vs retirar
75% similar

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

Key facts for retornar
PropertyValue
Headwordretornar
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ret̪oɾˈnaɾ]
Letters8
Frequency rank#20,808
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “retornar” 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). retornar 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 retornar is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ret̪oɾˈnaɾ]. Corpus data places it at rank #20,808 in overall Spanish word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Volver una persona o una cosa al lugar o situación en que estaba antes.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for retornar, with forms such as "ertornar", "reotrnar", and "retonrar". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 8 confusable-pair relationships, "retorno", "retornos", "retirar", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct Spanish form is retornar, spelled R-E-T-O-R-N-A-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Volver una persona o una cosa al lugar o situación en que estaba antes.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ertornar,reotrnar,retonrar,retoranr,retornarr,retornnar,retornra,retorrnar,retronar,rettornar,rretornar,rteornar

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of retornar - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ertornar2reotrnar2retonrar2retoranr2retornarr1retornnar1retornra2retorrnar1
Edit distance from "retornar"

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 "retornar"?
"retornar" is spelled R-E-T-O-R-N-A-R. The IPA pronunciation is [ret̪oɾˈnaɾ].
What does "retornar" mean?
As a verb, "retornar" means: Volver una persona o una cosa al lugar o situación en que estaba antes.
What words are commonly confused with "retornar"?
"retornar" is commonly confused with "retorno", "retornos", "retirar". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "retornar"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "retornar" is [ret̪oɾˈnaɾ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "retornar" come from?
"retornar" 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 “retornar”

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

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is R-E-T-O-R-N-A-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ret̪oɾˈnaɾ] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “retorno” - see the side-by-side comparison. retornar vs retorno
  • 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