bastarvsbesarWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#38,524
“bastar” frequency rank
#10,456
“besar” frequency rank
48980
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature bastar besar
Definition Ser suficiente y proporcionado para alguna cosa. Tocar con los labios como una muestra de amor, aprecio o respeto.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set bastar and besar apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
bastar
5 ch
besar

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. bastar ([basˈt̪aɾ]) and besar ([beˈsaɾ]) 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 48980, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

bastar is recorded at frequency rank #38,524, classified as averb, pronounced [basˈt̪aɾ]. besar is at rank #10,456, tagged as averb, pronounced [beˈsaɾ].

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 48980, this pair ranks #111,450 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of bastar vs besar

Shared letters: abrs. Private to "bastar": t. Private to "besar": e.

"bastar" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "besar" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • bastarabstar · basatr · basstar · bastarr · bastra · basttar · batsar · bbastar
  • besarbbesar · beasr · besarr · besra · bessar · bsear · ebsar · vesar

Frequency comparison

bastar#38,524
besar#10,456

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "bastar" and "besar" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([basˈt̪aɾ] versus [beˈsaɾ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "bastar" or "besar"?
"besar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #10,456 in our Spanish list, against #38,524 for "bastar". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering bastar vs besar

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 “bastar” 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