prepararvspreparateWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#3,802
“preparar” frequency rank
#34,729
“preparate” frequency rank
38531
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature preparar preparate
Definition Hacer los arreglos necesarios para determinado fin. Segunda persona del singular (vos) del imperativo afirmativo de prepararse (con el pronombre enclítico).

Where the spellings diverge

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

8 ch
preparar
9 ch
preparate

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. preparar ([pɾepaˈɾaɾ]) and preparate ([pɾepaˈɾat̪e]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38531, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

preparar is recorded at frequency rank #3,802, classified as averb, pronounced [pɾepaˈɾaɾ]. preparate is at rank #34,729, tagged as averb, pronounced [pɾepaˈɾat̪e].

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 38531, this pair ranks #169,497 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of preparar vs preparate

Shared letters: aepr. Private to "preparar": -. Private to "preparate": t.

"preparar" · 8 letters · shape CCVCVCVC  ·  "preparate" · 9 letters · shape CCVCVCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • prepararperparar · ppreparar · preaprar · prepaarr · prepararr · preparra · preparrar · prepparar
  • preparateperparate · ppreparate · preaprate · prepaarte · preparaet · preparatte · preparrate · prepartae

Frequency comparison

preparar#3,802
preparate#34,729

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "preparar" and "preparate" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([pɾepaˈɾaɾ] versus [pɾepaˈɾat̪e]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "preparar" or "preparate"?
"preparar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,802 in our Spanish list, against #34,729 for "preparate". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering preparar vs preparate

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 “preparar” 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