expandirvsexpedirWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#13,461
“expandir” frequency rank
#36,571
“expedir” frequency rank
50032
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature expandir expedir
Definition Hacer que algo ocupe más espacio, que sea más grande o largo, o que se propague y difunda. Dar curso a las causas y negocios; despacharlos.

Where the spellings diverge

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

8 ch
expandir
7 ch
expedir

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. expandir ([ekspãn̪ˈd̪iɾ]) and expedir ([ekspeˈð̞iɾ]) 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 50032, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

expandir is recorded at frequency rank #13,461, classified as averb, pronounced [ekspãn̪ˈd̪iɾ]. expedir is at rank #36,571, tagged as averb, pronounced [ekspeˈð̞iɾ].

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 50032, this pair ranks #105,489 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of expandir vs expedir

Shared letters: deiprx. Private to "expandir": an. Private to "expedir": -.

"expandir" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC  ·  "expedir" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • expandirepxandir · exapndir · expadnir · expanddir · expandirr · expandri · expanidr · expanndir
  • expedirepxedir · exepdir · expdeir · expeddir · expedirr · expedri · expeidr · exppedir

Frequency comparison

expandir#13,461
expedir#36,571

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "expandir" and "expedir" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ekspãn̪ˈd̪iɾ] versus [ekspeˈð̞iɾ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "expandir" or "expedir"?
"expandir" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #13,461 in our Spanish list, against #36,571 for "expedir". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering expandir vs expedir

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 “expandir” 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