Which to use
“derribar” and “derrotar” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #13,437
- “derribar” frequency rank
- #9,622
- “derrotar” frequency rank
- 23059
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | derribar | derrotar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Echar abajo un edificio, construcción o muros. | Disipar, romper, destrozar hacienda, muebles o vestidos. |
Where the eye mixes derribar and derrotar
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. derribar and derrotar follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (CVCCVCVC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.
Look-alike desk: derribar vs derrotar
A purely visual mix-up. derribar ([d̪eriˈβ̞aɾ]) 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 23059, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
derribar is recorded at frequency rank #13,437, classified as averb, pronounced [d̪eriˈβ̞aɾ]. 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 23059, this pair ranks #247,558 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of derribar vs derrotar
Shared letters: ader. Private to "derribar": bi. Private to "derrotar": ot.
"derribar" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC · "derrotar" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "derribar" and "derrotar" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "derribar" or "derrotar"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "derribar" 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 #247,558 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "derribar" and "derrotar" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "denotar vs derrotar". 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 #247,558 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.