derribadovsderribarWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#18,787
“derribado” frequency rank
#13,437
“derribar” frequency rank
32224
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature derribado derribar
Definition Participio de derribar o de derribarse. Echar abajo un edificio, construcción o muros.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set derribado and derribar apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
derribado
8 ch
derribar

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. derribado ([d̪eriˈβ̞að̞o]) and derribar ([d̪eriˈβ̞aɾ]) 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 32224, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

derribado is recorded at frequency rank #18,787, classified as averb, pronounced [d̪eriˈβ̞að̞o]. derribar is at rank #13,437, tagged as averb, pronounced [d̪eriˈβ̞aɾ].

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 32224, this pair ranks #203,121 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of derribado vs derribar

Shared letters: abdeir. Private to "derribado": o. Private to "derribar": -.

"derribado" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCVCV  ·  "derribar" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • derribadodderribado · derirbado · derrbiado · derriabdo · derribaddo · derribaod · derribbado · derribdao
  • derribardderribar · deribar · derirbar · derrbiar · derriabr · derribarr · derribbar · derribra

Frequency comparison

derribado#18,787
derribar#13,437

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "derribado" and "derribar" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([d̪eriˈβ̞að̞o] versus [d̪eriˈβ̞aɾ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "derribado" or "derribar"?
"derribar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #13,437 in our Spanish list, against #18,787 for "derribado". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering derribado vs derribar

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 “derribado” 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