limitarvslimitarseWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#8,138
“limitar” frequency rank
#23,844
“limitarse” frequency rank
31982
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature limitar limitarse
Definition Poner límites a alguna cosa; señalarlos; reducir su extensión. Mostrar falta de iniciativa o audacia en el trabajo, haciendo exclusivamente lo ordenado y nada más.

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
limitar
9 ch
limitarse

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. limitar ([limiˈt̪aɾ]) and limitarse ([limiˈt̪aɾse]) 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) - “limitar” sits inside “limitarse”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 31982, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

limitar is recorded at frequency rank #8,138, classified as averb, pronounced [limiˈt̪aɾ]. limitarse is at rank #23,844, tagged as averb, pronounced [limiˈt̪aɾse].

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 31982, this pair ranks #204,325 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of limitar vs limitarse

Shared letters: ailmrt. Private to "limitar": -. Private to "limitarse": es.

"limitar" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC  ·  "limitarse" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • limitarilmitar · liimtar · limiatr · limitarr · limitra · limittar · limmitar · limtiar
  • limitarseilmitarse · liimtarse · limiatrse · limitarce · limitares · limitarrse · limitarsse · limitasre

Frequency comparison

limitar#8,138
limitarse#23,844

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "limitar" and "limitarse" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([limiˈt̪aɾ] versus [limiˈt̪aɾse]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "limitar" or "limitarse"?
"limitar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #8,138 in our Spanish list, against #23,844 for "limitarse". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering limitar vs limitarse

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 “limitar” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list