derramarvsderrotarWhich spelling fits?

Which to use

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

#22,652
“derramar” frequency rank
#9,622
“derrotar” frequency rank
32274
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature derramar derrotar
Definition Verter, esparcir cosas líquidas o menudas. Disipar, romper, destrozar hacienda, muebles o vestidos.

Where the eye mixes derramar and derrotar

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. derramar and derrotar follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (CVCCVCVC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.

8 ch
derramar
8 ch
derrotar

Look-alike desk: derramar vs derrotar

A purely visual mix-up. derramar ([d̪eraˈmaɾ]) and derrotar ([d̪eroˈt̪aɾ]) 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 32274, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

derramar is recorded at frequency rank #22,652, classified as averb, pronounced [d̪eraˈmaɾ]. derrotar is at rank #9,622, tagged as averb, pronounced [d̪eroˈt̪aɾ].

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 32274, this pair ranks #202,827 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of derramar vs derrotar

Shared letters: ader. Private to "derramar": m. Private to "derrotar": ot.

"derramar" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC  ·  "derrotar" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • derramar ← dderramar · deramar · derarmar · derraamr · derramarr · derrammar · derramra · derrmaar
  • derrotar ← dderrotar · derortar · derotar · derroatr · derrotarr · derrotra · derrottar · derrtoar

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "derramar" and "derrotar" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([d̪eraˈmaɾ] versus [d̪eroˈt̪aɾ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "derramar" or "derrotar"?
"derrotar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #9,622 in our Spanish list, against #22,652 for "derramar". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

After this comparison

Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.

  • Full dictionary entry for "derramar" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "derrotar" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #202,827 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "derramar" and "derrotar" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "degradar vs derramar". 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 #202,827 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list