gobernarvsgobiernanWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#5,737
“gobernar” frequency rank
#15,631
“gobiernan” frequency rank
21368
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature gobernar gobiernan
Definition Mandar con autoridad o regir una cosa. Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de gobernar o de gobernarse.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set gobernar and gobiernan apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
gobernar
9 ch
gobiernan

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. gobernar ([goβ̞eɾˈnaɾ]) and gobiernan ([goˈβ̞jeɾnãn]) 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 21368, 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]. gobiernan is at rank #15,631, tagged as averb, pronounced [goˈβ̞jeɾnãn].

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 21368, this pair ranks #255,246 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of gobernar vs gobiernan

Shared letters: abegnor. Private to "gobernar": -. Private to "gobiernan": i.

"gobernar" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC  ·  "gobiernan" · 9 letters · shape CVCVVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • gobernargboernar · ggobernar · gobbernar · gobenrar · goberanr · gobernarr · gobernnar · gobernra
  • gobiernangboiernan · ggobiernan · gobbiernan · gobeirnan · gobienran · gobierann · gobiernann · gobiernnan

Frequency comparison

gobernar#5,737
gobiernan#15,631

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "gobernar" and "gobiernan" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([goβ̞eɾˈnaɾ] versus [goˈβ̞jeɾnãn]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "gobernar" or "gobiernan"?
"gobernar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #5,737 in our Spanish list, against #15,631 for "gobiernan". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering gobernar vs gobiernan

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