Which to use
“comprar” and “compren” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #819
- “comprar” frequency rank
- #16,295
- “compren” frequency rank
- 17114
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | comprar | compren |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Adquirir algo mediante el intercambio de su valor en dinero. | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de subjuntivo de comprar. |
Where the eye mixes comprar and compren
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between comprar and compren
A purely visual mix-up. comprar ([kõmˈpɾaɾ]) and compren ([ˈkõmpɾẽn]) 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 17114, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
comprar is recorded at frequency rank #819, classified as averb, pronounced [kõmˈpɾaɾ]. compren is at rank #16,295, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈkõmpɾẽn].
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 17114, this pair ranks #273,494 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of comprar vs compren
Shared letters: cmopr. Private to "comprar": a. Private to "compren": en.
"comprar" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC · "compren" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "comprar" and "compren" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "comprar" or "compren"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "comprar" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "compren" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #273,494 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "comprar" and "compren" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "comporten vs compren". 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 #273,494 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.