explicarvsexplicarseConfusable pair

Which to use

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

#1,850
“explicar” frequency rank
#26,442
“explicarse” frequency rank
28292
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature explicar explicarse
Definition Declarar, exponer una persona lo que piensa. Explicar (uso pronominal de ...)

Where the eye mixes explicar and explicarse

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence.

8 ch
explicar
10 ch
explicarse

Look-alike desk: explicar vs explicarse

A purely visual mix-up. explicar ([ekspliˈkaɾ]) and explicarse ([ekspliˈkaɾse]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “explicar” sits inside “explicarse”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 28292, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

explicar is recorded at frequency rank #1,850, classified as averb, pronounced [ekspliˈkaɾ]. explicarse is at rank #26,442, tagged as averb, pronounced [ekspliˈkaɾse].

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 28292, this pair ranks #222,717 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of explicar vs explicarse

Shared letters: aceilprx. Private to "explicar": -. Private to "explicarse": s.

"explicar" · 8 letters · shape VCCCVCVC  ·  "explicarse" · 10 letters · shape VCCCVCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • explicarepxlicar · exlpicar · expilcar · explciar · expliacr · explicarr · expliccar · explicra
  • explicarseepxlicarse · exlpicarse · expilcarse · explciarse · expliacrse · explicarce · explicares · explicarrse

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "explicar" and "explicarse" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ekspliˈkaɾ] versus [ekspliˈkaɾse]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "explicar" or "explicarse"?
"explicar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,850 in our Spanish list, against #26,442 for "explicarse". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

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 "explicar" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "explicarse" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #222,717 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "explicar" and "explicarse" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "explicaré vs explicarse". 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 #222,717 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list