Which to use
“compete” and “compré” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #31,712
- “compete” frequency rank
- #5,594
- “compré” frequency rank
- 37306
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | compete | compré |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de competer. | Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de comprar. |
Where the eye mixes compete and compré
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: compete vs compré
A purely visual mix-up. compete ([kõmˈpet̪e]) and compré ([kõmˈpɾe]) 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 37306, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
compete is recorded at frequency rank #31,712, classified as averb, pronounced [kõmˈpet̪e]. compré is at rank #5,594, tagged as averb, pronounced [kõmˈpɾe].
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 37306, this pair ranks #176,002 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of compete vs compré
Shared letters: cmop. Private to "compete": et. Private to "compré": ré.
"compete" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV · "compré" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- compete ← ccompete · cmopete · comepte · commpete · compeet · compette · comppete · comptee
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "compete" and "compré" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "compete" or "compré"?
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 "compete" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "compré" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #176,002 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "compete" and "compré" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "compete vs compita". 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 #176,002 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.