comportarvscomportarseWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#48,902
“comportar” frequency rank
#15,318
“comportarse” frequency rank
64220
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature comportar comportarse
Definition Contener en sí o traer consigo un contenido, un significado o una serie de consecuencias. Obrar o actuar de determinada manera; tener un conjunto de actitudes respecto al modo de proceder.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set comportar and comportarse apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
comportar
11 ch
comportarse

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

comportar and comportarse 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 2 extra letter(s) - “comportar” sits inside “comportarse” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 64220, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

comportar is recorded at frequency rank #48,902, classified as averb, pronounced [kõmpoɾˈt̪aɾ]. comportarse is at rank #15,318, tagged as averb, pronounced [kõmpoɾˈt̪aɾse].

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 64220, this pair ranks #46,252 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Frequency comparison

comportar#48,902
comportarse#15,318

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "comportar" and "comportarse" be used interchangeably?
No, "comportar" and "comportarse" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering comportar vs comportarse

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 “comportar” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list