Which to use
“ahogar” and “ahorcar” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #22,561
- “ahogar” frequency rank
- #42,238
- “ahorcar” frequency rank
- 64799
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ahogar | ahorcar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Impedir que una persona o animal respirar, por ejemplo agarrándole la garganta o metiéndolo en el agua, generalmente causándole la muerte. | Colgar por el cuello hasta provocar la muerte. |
Where the eye mixes ahogar and ahorcar
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. ahogar runs 6 letters (VCVCVC) against ahorcar's 7 (VCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: ahogar vs ahorcar
A purely visual mix-up. ahogar ([aoˈɣ̞aɾ]) and ahorcar ([aoɾˈkaɾ]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 64799, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ahogar is recorded at frequency rank #22,561, classified as averb, pronounced [aoˈɣ̞aɾ]. ahorcar is at rank #42,238, tagged as averb, pronounced [aoɾˈkaɾ].
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 64799, this pair ranks #44,533 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of ahogar vs ahorcar
Shared letters: ahor. Private to "ahogar": g. Private to "ahorcar": c.
"ahogar" · 6 letters · shape VCVCVC · "ahorcar" · 7 letters · shape VCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ahogar" and "ahorcar" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "ahogar" vs "ahorcar" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "ahogar" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "ahorcar" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #44,533 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ahogar" and "ahorcar" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "ahorcar vs ahorrará". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #44,533 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.