Which to use
“cerrar” and “cobrar” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,070
- “cerrar” frequency rank
- #4,583
- “cobrar” frequency rank
- 6653
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | cerrar | cobrar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Colocar o modificar algo para evitar su apertura. | Recibir el pago de una deuda. |
Where the eye mixes cerrar and cobrar
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between cerrar and cobrar
A purely visual mix-up. cerrar ([seˈraɾ]) and cobrar ([koˈβ̞ɾaɾ]) 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 6653, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
cerrar is recorded at frequency rank #2,070, classified as averb, pronounced [seˈraɾ]. cobrar is at rank #4,583, tagged as averb, pronounced [koˈβ̞ɾaɾ].
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 6653, this pair ranks #310,168 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of cerrar vs cobrar
Shared letters: acr. Private to "cerrar": e. Private to "cobrar": bo.
"cerrar" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "cobrar" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "cerrar" for "cobrar" ever safe?
Which is more common, "cerrar" or "cobrar"?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "cerrar" and "cobrar" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "cerrar" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "cobrar" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #310,168 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "cerrar" and "cobrar" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "cobrador vs cobrar". 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 #310,168 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.