Which to use
“matar” is a verb and “Matas” is a name - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,383
- “matar” frequency rank
- #11,449
- “Matas” frequency rank
- 12832
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | matar | Matas |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Quitar la vida. | Apellido. |
Where the eye mixes matar and Matas
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses matar with Matas
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: matar is [maˈt̪aɾ] while Matas is [ˈmat̪as]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - r in “matar” becomes s in “Matas”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs name), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 12832, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
matar is recorded at frequency rank #1,383, classified as averb, pronounced [maˈt̪aɾ]. Matas is at rank #11,449, tagged as aname, pronounced [ˈmat̪as].
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 12832, this pair ranks #290,079 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of matar vs Matas
Shared letters: amt. Private to "matar": r. Private to "Matas": s.
"matar" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "Matas" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "matar" for "Matas" ever safe?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "matar" or "Matas" show up more?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "matar" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Matas" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #290,079 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "matar" and "Matas" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "makes vs Matas". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #290,079 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.