moderarvsmostrarWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#28,458
“moderar” frequency rank
#2,124
“mostrar” frequency rank
30582
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature moderar mostrar
Definition Arreglar alguna cosa, buscando evitar abusos. Hacer ver algo.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set moderar and mostrar apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
moderar
7 ch
mostrar

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. moderar ([moð̞eˈɾaɾ]) and mostrar ([mosˈt̪ɾaɾ]) 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 30582, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

moderar is recorded at frequency rank #28,458, classified as averb, pronounced [moð̞eˈɾaɾ]. mostrar is at rank #2,124, tagged as averb, pronounced [mosˈt̪ɾaɾ].

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 30582, this pair ranks #211,285 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of moderar vs mostrar

Shared letters: amor. Private to "moderar": de. Private to "mostrar": st.

"moderar" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC  ·  "mostrar" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • moderarmdoerar · mmoderar · modderar · modearr · moderarr · moderra · moderrar · modrear
  • mostrarmmostrar · mosrtar · mosstrar · mostarr · mostrarr · mostrra · mostrrar · mosttrar

Frequency comparison

moderar#28,458
mostrar#2,124

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "moderar" and "mostrar" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([moð̞eˈɾaɾ] versus [mosˈt̪ɾaɾ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "moderar" or "mostrar"?
"mostrar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,124 in our Spanish list, against #28,458 for "moderar". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering moderar vs mostrar

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 “moderar” 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