Which to use
“derribar” and “derrumbar” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #13,437
- “derribar” frequency rank
- #40,237
- “derrumbar” frequency rank
- 53674
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | derribar | derrumbar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Echar abajo un edificio, construcción o muros. | Precipitar, despeñar. |
Where the eye mixes derribar and derrumbar
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. derribar runs 8 letters (CVCCVCVC) against derrumbar's 9 (CVCCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses derribar with derrumbar
A purely visual mix-up. derribar ([d̪eriˈβ̞aɾ]) and derrumbar ([d̪erũmˈbaɾ]) 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 53674, 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]. derrumbar is at rank #40,237, tagged as averb, pronounced [d̪erũmˈbaɾ].
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 53674, this pair ranks #86,765 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of derribar vs derrumbar
Shared letters: abder. Private to "derribar": i. Private to "derrumbar": mu.
"derribar" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC · "derrumbar" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "derribar" and "derrumbar" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "derribar" or "derrumbar"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "derribar" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "derrumbar" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #86,765 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "derribar" and "derrumbar" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "derrumbar vs derrumbarse". 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 #86,765 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.