Which to use
“cobrar” is a verb and “cobre” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #4,583
- “cobrar” frequency rank
- #4,312
- “cobre” frequency rank
- 8895
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | cobrar | cobre |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Recibir el pago de una deuda. | Elemento químico, metálico y sólido, de número atómico 29 y símbolo Cu. Es un metal de color rojizo brillante, que se cubre de una leve capa de óxido negruzco al aire; es uno de los mejores conductores de la electricidad, después del oro y la plata. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set cobrar and cobre apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
cobrar and cobre form a confusable pair in the Spanish index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 8895, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
cobrar is recorded at frequency rank #4,583, classified as averb, pronounced [koˈβ̞ɾaɾ]. cobre is at rank #4,312, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈkoβ̞ɾe].
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 8895, this pair ranks #303,558 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "cobrar" and "cobre" be used interchangeably?
Remembering cobrar vs cobre
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “cobrar”; for a noun, it's “cobre”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “cobrar” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable