Which to use
“apartar” and “apretar” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #19,916
- “apartar” frequency rank
- #13,839
- “apretar” frequency rank
- 33755
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | apartar | apretar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Alejar de un lugar o idea, desviar, echar, a un lado. | Estrechar u oprimir algo. |
Where the eye mixes apartar and apretar
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. apartar (VCVCCVC) and apretar (VCCVCVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: apartar vs apretar
A purely visual mix-up. apartar ([apaɾˈt̪aɾ]) and apretar ([apɾeˈt̪aɾ]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 33755, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
apartar is recorded at frequency rank #19,916, classified as averb, pronounced [apaɾˈt̪aɾ]. apretar is at rank #13,839, tagged as averb, pronounced [apɾeˈt̪aɾ].
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 33755, this pair ranks #195,045 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of apartar vs apretar
Shared letters: aprt. Private to "apartar": -. Private to "apretar": e.
"apartar" · 7 letters · shape VCVCCVC · "apretar" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "apartar" and "apretar" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "apartar" or "apretar"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "apartar" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "apretar" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #195,045 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "apartar" and "apretar" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "apartan vs apartar". 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 #195,045 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.