enfermarvsenterrarWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#27,589
“enfermar” frequency rank
#15,606
“enterrar” frequency rank
43195
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature enfermar enterrar
Definition Producir o causar enfermedad. Colocar algo o alguien debajo de tierra.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set enfermar and enterrar apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
enfermar
8 ch
enterrar

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. enfermar ([ẽɱfeɾˈmaɾ]) and enterrar ([ẽn̪t̪eˈraɾ]) 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 43195, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

enfermar is recorded at frequency rank #27,589, classified as averb, pronounced [ẽɱfeɾˈmaɾ]. enterrar is at rank #15,606, tagged as averb, pronounced [ẽn̪t̪eˈraɾ].

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 43195, this pair ranks #144,036 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of enfermar vs enterrar

Shared letters: aenr. Private to "enfermar": fm. Private to "enterrar": t.

"enfermar" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC  ·  "enterrar" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • enfermarefnermar · enefrmar · enfemrar · enferamr · enfermarr · enfermmar · enfermra · enferrmar
  • enterrarenetrrar · ennterrar · enterrarr · enterrra · entrerar · entterrar · etnerrar · neterrar

Frequency comparison

enfermar#27,589
enterrar#15,606

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "enfermar" and "enterrar" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ẽɱfeɾˈmaɾ] versus [ẽn̪t̪eˈraɾ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "enfermar" or "enterrar"?
"enterrar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #15,606 in our Spanish list, against #27,589 for "enfermar". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering enfermar vs enterrar

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 “enfermar” 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