gobiernavsgobierneWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: gobierna is a noun, gobierne is a verb, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“gobierna” is a noun and “gobierne” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#9,464
“gobierna” frequency rank
#23,075
“gobierne” frequency rank
32539
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature gobierna gobierne
Definition 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. Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de subjuntivo de gobernar o de gobernarse.

Where the spellings diverge

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

8 ch
gobierna
8 ch
gobierne

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: gobierna is [goˈβ̞jeɾna] while gobierne is [goˈβ̞jeɾne]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - a in “gobierna” becomes e in “gobierne”, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 32539, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

gobierna is recorded at frequency rank #9,464, classified as anoun, pronounced [goˈβ̞jeɾna]. gobierne is at rank #23,075, tagged as averb, pronounced [goˈβ̞jeɾne].

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 32539, this pair ranks #201,455 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of gobierna vs gobierne

Shared letters: beginor. Private to "gobierna": a. Private to "gobierne": -.

"gobierna" · 8 letters · shape CVCVVCCV  ·  "gobierne" · 8 letters · shape CVCVVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • gobiernagboierna · ggobierna · gobbierna · gobeirna · gobienra · gobieran · gobiernna · gobierrna
  • gobiernegboierne · ggobierne · gobbierne · gobeirne · gobienre · gobieren · gobiernne · gobierrne

Frequency comparison

gobierna#9,464
gobierne#23,075

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "gobierna" and "gobierne" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "gobierna" is a noun and "gobierne" a verb, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "gobierna" or "gobierne"?
"gobierna" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #9,464 in our Spanish list, against #23,075 for "gobierne". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering gobierna vs gobierne

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “gobierna”; for a verb, it's “gobierne”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “gobierna” 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