gobernarvsgobernóWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#5,737
“gobernar” frequency rank
#16,601
“gobernó” frequency rank
22338
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature gobernar gobernó
Definition Mandar con autoridad o regir una cosa. Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de gobernar o de gobernarse.

Where the spellings diverge

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

8 ch
gobernar
7 ch
gobernó

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. gobernar ([goβ̞eɾˈnaɾ]) and gobernó ([goβ̞eɾˈno]) 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 22338, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

gobernar is recorded at frequency rank #5,737, classified as averb, pronounced [goβ̞eɾˈnaɾ]. gobernó is at rank #16,601, tagged as averb, pronounced [goβ̞eɾˈno].

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 22338, this pair ranks #250,789 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of gobernar vs gobernó

Shared letters: begnor. Private to "gobernar": a. Private to "gobernó": ó.

"gobernar" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC  ·  "gobernó" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • gobernargboernar · ggobernar · gobbernar · gobenrar · goberanr · gobernarr · gobernnar · gobernra

Frequency comparison

gobernar#5,737
gobernó#16,601

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "gobernar" and "gobernó" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([goβ̞eɾˈnaɾ] versus [goβ̞eɾˈno]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "gobernar" or "gobernó"?
"gobernar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #5,737 in our Spanish list, against #16,601 for "gobernó". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering gobernar vs gobernó

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 “gobernar” 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