Which to use
“errar” is a verb and “error” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #30,892
- “errar” frequency rank
- #913
- “error” frequency rank
- 31805
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | errar | error |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Fallar en un juicio o concepto, de tal modo de afirmar aquello que no es cierto o negar lo que lo es. | Desviación de lo exacto, lo verdadero o lo correcto. |
Where the eye mixes errar and error
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between errar and error
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: errar is [eˈraɾ] while error is [eˈroɾ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - a in “errar” becomes o in “error”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 31805, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
errar is recorded at frequency rank #30,892, classified as averb, pronounced [eˈraɾ]. error is at rank #913, tagged as anoun, pronounced [eˈroɾ].
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 31805, this pair ranks #205,230 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of errar vs error
Shared letters: er. Private to "errar": a. Private to "error": o.
"errar" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC · "error" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "errar" for "error" ever safe?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "errar" or "error" show up more?
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 "errar" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "error" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #205,230 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "errar" and "error" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "errar vs erre". 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 #205,230 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.