compróvscómputoWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: compró is a verb, cómputo is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“compró” is a verb and “cómputo” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#5,293
“compró” frequency rank
#18,214
“cómputo” frequency rank
23507
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature compró cómputo
Definition Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de comprar. Procedimiento que determina el valor de una cantidad por medio de operaciones matemáticas.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set compró and cómputo apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
compró
7 ch
cómputo

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: compró is [kõmˈpɾo] while cómputo is [ˈkõmput̪o]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 23507, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

compró is recorded at frequency rank #5,293, classified as averb, pronounced [kõmˈpɾo]. cómputo is at rank #18,214, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈkõmput̪o].

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 23507, this pair ranks #245,480 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of compró vs cómputo

Shared letters: cmopó. Private to "compró": r. Private to "cómputo": tu.

"compró" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCV  ·  "cómputo" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV

Frequency comparison

compró#5,293
cómputo#18,214

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "compró" and "cómputo" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "compró" is a verb and "cómputo" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "compró" or "cómputo"?
"compró" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #5,293 in our Spanish list, against #18,214 for "cómputo". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering compró vs cómputo

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “compró”; for a noun, it's “cómputo”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “compró” 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