atribuirvsatribuirseWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“atribuir” and “atribuirse” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#21,567
“atribuir” frequency rank
#38,511
“atribuirse” frequency rank
60078
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature atribuir atribuirse
Definition Aplicar o asignar una función, cargo o distinción. Dar por propios méritos y logros ajenos.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set atribuir and atribuirse apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
atribuir
10 ch
atribuirse

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. atribuir ([at̪ɾiˈβ̞wiɾ]) and atribuirse ([at̪ɾiˈβ̞wiɾse]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “atribuir” sits inside “atribuirse”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 60078, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

atribuir is recorded at frequency rank #21,567, classified as averb, pronounced [at̪ɾiˈβ̞wiɾ]. atribuirse is at rank #38,511, tagged as averb, pronounced [at̪ɾiˈβ̞wiɾse].

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 60078, this pair ranks #60,223 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of atribuir vs atribuirse

Shared letters: abirtu. Private to "atribuir": -. Private to "atribuirse": es.

"atribuir" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCVVC  ·  "atribuirse" · 10 letters · shape VCCVCVVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • atribuirartibuir · atirbuir · atrbiuir · atribbuir · atribiur · atribuirr · atriburi · atriubir
  • atribuirseartibuirse · atirbuirse · atrbiuirse · atribbuirse · atribiurse · atribuirce · atribuires · atribuirrse

Frequency comparison

atribuir#21,567
atribuirse#38,511

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "atribuir" and "atribuirse" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([at̪ɾiˈβ̞wiɾ] versus [at̪ɾiˈβ̞wiɾse]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "atribuir" or "atribuirse"?
"atribuir" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #21,567 in our Spanish list, against #38,511 for "atribuirse". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering atribuir vs atribuirse

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “atribuir” 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