abrasvsatrásWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: abras is a verb, atrás is an adverb, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“abras” is a verb and “atrás” is an adverb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#27,075
“abras” frequency rank
#907
“atrás” frequency rank
27982
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature abras atrás
Definition Segunda persona del singular (tú) del presente de subjuntivo de abrir o de abrirse. Denota la parte posterior de alguna cosa o lo que está o queda a las espaldas.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set abras and atrás apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
abras
5 ch
atrás

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

abras and atrás form a confusable pair in the Spanish index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 27982, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

abras is recorded at frequency rank #27,075, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈaβ̞ɾas]. atrás is at rank #907, tagged as anadv, pronounced [aˈt̪ɾas].

Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.

With a confusion score of 27982, this pair ranks #224,236 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Frequency comparison

abras#27,075
atrás#907

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "abras" and "atrás" be used interchangeably?
No, "abras" and "atrás" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering abras vs atrás

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “abras”; for an adverb, it's “atrás”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “abras” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

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

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