Which to use
“gobernar” is a verb and “gobierna” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #5,737
- “gobernar” frequency rank
- #9,464
- “gobierna” frequency rank
- 15201
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | gobernar | gobierna |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Mandar con autoridad o regir una cosa. | Pieza de metal, ordinariamente en forma de saeta, que se coloca en lo alto de las torres u otros edificios de modo que pueda girar alrededor de un eje vertical y señalar la dirección del viento. |
Where the eye mixes gobernar and gobierna
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. gobernar (CVCVCCVC) and gobierna (CVCVVCCV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses gobernar with gobierna
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: gobernar is [goβ̞eɾˈnaɾ] while gobierna is [goˈβ̞jeɾna]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 5 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 15201, 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]. gobierna is at rank #9,464, tagged as anoun, pronounced [goˈβ̞jeɾna].
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 15201, this pair ranks #281,133 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of gobernar vs gobierna
Shared letters: abegnor. Private to "gobernar": -. Private to "gobierna": i.
"gobernar" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC · "gobierna" · 8 letters · shape CVCVVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "gobernar" and "gobierna" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "gobernar" or "gobierna"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "gobernar" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "gobierna" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #281,133 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "gobernar" and "gobierna" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "gobierna vs gobiernen". 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 #281,133 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.