matarsevsmatasteTell them apart

Which to use

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

#26,138
“matarse” frequency rank
#30,148
“mataste” frequency rank
56286
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature matarse mataste
Definition Perder la vida involuntariamente. Segunda persona del singular (tú, vos) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de matar o de matarse.

Where the eye mixes matarse and mataste

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence.

7 ch
matarse
7 ch
mataste

Visual trap between matarse and mataste

A purely visual mix-up. matarse ([maˈt̪aɾse]) and mataste ([maˈt̪ast̪e]) 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 56286, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

matarse is recorded at frequency rank #26,138, classified as averb, pronounced [maˈt̪aɾse]. mataste is at rank #30,148, tagged as averb, pronounced [maˈt̪ast̪e].

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 56286, this pair ranks #75,251 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of matarse vs mataste

Shared letters: aemst. Private to "matarse": r. Private to "mataste": -.

"matarse" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV  ·  "mataste" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • matarseamtarse · maatrse · matarce · matares · matarrse · matarsse · matasre · matrase
  • matasteamtaste · maatste · mataset · matasste · matastte · matatse · matsate · mattaste

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "matarse" and "mataste" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([maˈt̪aɾse] versus [maˈt̪ast̪e]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "matarse" vs "mataste" - which ranks higher?
"matarse" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #26,138 in our Spanish list, against #30,148 for "mataste". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

After this comparison

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "matarse" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "mataste" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #75,251 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "matarse" and "mataste" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "mataste vs miraste". 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 #75,251 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list