Which to use
“obedece” and “obedecer” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #16,161
- “obedece” frequency rank
- #12,661
- “obedecer” frequency rank
- 28822
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | obedece | obedecer |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de obedecer. | Respetar la voluntad de alguien en especial de la autoridad. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set obedece and obedecer apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. obedece ([oβ̞eˈð̞ese]) and obedecer ([oβ̞eð̞eˈseɾ]) 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 1 extra letter(s) - “obedece” sits inside “obedecer”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 28822, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
obedece is recorded at frequency rank #16,161, classified as averb, pronounced [oβ̞eˈð̞ese]. obedecer is at rank #12,661, tagged as averb, pronounced [oβ̞eð̞eˈseɾ].
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 28822, this pair ranks #220,088 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of obedece vs obedecer
Shared letters: bcdeo. Private to "obedece": -. Private to "obedecer": r.
"obedece" · 7 letters · shape VCVCVCV · "obedecer" · 8 letters · shape VCVCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "obedece" and "obedecer" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "obedece" or "obedecer"?
Remembering obedece vs obedecer
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 “obedece” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable