lamentarvslamentarseWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#16,893
“lamentar” frequency rank
#39,311
“lamentarse” frequency rank
56204
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature lamentar lamentarse
Definition Sentir vivamente una cosa llorándola. Quejarse con exteriores demostraciones de dolor.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set lamentar and lamentarse apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
lamentar
10 ch
lamentarse

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. lamentar ([lamẽn̪ˈt̪aɾ]) and lamentarse ([lamẽn̪ˈt̪aɾse]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “lamentar” sits inside “lamentarse”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 56204, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

lamentar is recorded at frequency rank #16,893, classified as averb, pronounced [lamẽn̪ˈt̪aɾ]. lamentarse is at rank #39,311, tagged as averb, pronounced [lamẽn̪ˈt̪aɾse].

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 56204, this pair ranks #75,598 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of lamentar vs lamentarse

Shared letters: aelmnrt. Private to "lamentar": -. Private to "lamentarse": s.

"lamentar" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC  ·  "lamentarse" · 10 letters · shape CVCVCCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • lamentaralmentar · laemntar · lamenatr · lamenntar · lamentarr · lamentra · lamenttar · lametnar
  • lamentarsealmentarse · laemntarse · lamenatrse · lamenntarse · lamentarce · lamentares · lamentarrse · lamentarsse

Frequency comparison

lamentar#16,893
lamentarse#39,311

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "lamentar" and "lamentarse" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([lamẽn̪ˈt̪aɾ] versus [lamẽn̪ˈt̪aɾse]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "lamentar" or "lamentarse"?
"lamentar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #16,893 in our Spanish list, against #39,311 for "lamentarse". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering lamentar vs lamentarse

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 “lamentar” 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