Which to use
“herir” and “hirió” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #12,394
- “herir” frequency rank
- #20,068
- “hirió” frequency rank
- 32462
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | herir | hirió |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Abrir, romper, destrozar las carnes de un animal. | Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de herir. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set herir and hirió apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. herir ([eˈɾiɾ]) and hirió ([iˈɾjo]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 32462, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
herir is recorded at frequency rank #12,394, classified as averb, pronounced [eˈɾiɾ]. hirió is at rank #20,068, tagged as averb, pronounced [iˈɾjo].
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 32462, this pair ranks #201,812 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of herir vs hirió
Shared letters: hir. Private to "herir": e. Private to "hirió": ó.
"herir" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "hirió" · 5 letters · shape CVCVV
Known mistypes of this pair
- herir ← ehrir · heirr · herirr · herri · herrir · hherir · hreir
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "herir" and "hirió" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "herir" or "hirió"?
Remembering herir vs hirió
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 “herir” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable