encerrarvsencierraWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#22,678
“encerrar” frequency rank
#18,525
“encierra” frequency rank
41203
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature encerrar encierra
Definition Introducir algo o a alguien en un lugar cerrado. Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de encerrar.

Where the spellings diverge

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

8 ch
encerrar
8 ch
encierra

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. encerrar ([ẽnseˈraɾ]) and encierra ([ẽnˈsjera]) 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 4 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 41203, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

encerrar is recorded at frequency rank #22,678, classified as averb, pronounced [ẽnseˈraɾ]. encierra is at rank #18,525, tagged as averb, pronounced [ẽnˈsjera].

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 41203, this pair ranks #154,944 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of encerrar vs encierra

Shared letters: acenr. Private to "encerrar": -. Private to "encierra": i.

"encerrar" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC  ·  "encierra" · 8 letters · shape VCCVVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • encerrarecnerrar · enccerrar · encerar · encerarr · encerrarr · encerrra · encrerar · enecrrar
  • encierraecnierra · enccierra · enceirra · enciera · encierar · encirera · enicerra · enncierra

Frequency comparison

encerrar#22,678
encierra#18,525

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "encerrar" and "encierra" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ẽnseˈraɾ] versus [ẽnˈsjera]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "encerrar" or "encierra"?
"encierra" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #18,525 in our Spanish list, against #22,678 for "encerrar". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering encerrar vs encierra

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 “encerrar” 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