preparatevsprepareWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#34,729
“preparate” frequency rank
#19,844
“prepare” frequency rank
54573
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature preparate prepare
Definition Segunda persona del singular (vos) del imperativo afirmativo de prepararse (con el pronombre enclítico). Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de subjuntivo de preparar.

Where the spellings diverge

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

9 ch
preparate
7 ch
prepare

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. preparate ([pɾepaˈɾat̪e]) and prepare ([pɾeˈpaɾe]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 54573, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

preparate is recorded at frequency rank #34,729, classified as averb, pronounced [pɾepaˈɾat̪e]. prepare is at rank #19,844, tagged as averb, pronounced [pɾeˈpaɾe].

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 54573, this pair ranks #82,712 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of preparate vs prepare

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

"preparate" · 9 letters · shape CCVCVCVCV  ·  "prepare" · 7 letters · shape CCVCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • preparateperparate · ppreparate · preaprate · prepaarte · preparaet · preparatte · preparrate · prepartae
  • prepareperpare · pprepare · preapre · prepaer · preparre · preppare · preprae · prpeare

Frequency comparison

preparate#34,729
prepare#19,844

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "preparate" and "prepare" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([pɾepaˈɾat̪e] versus [pɾeˈpaɾe]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "preparate" or "prepare"?
"prepare" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #19,844 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 preparate vs prepare

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 “preparate” 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