Which to use
“quebrado” is an adjective and “quebrar” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #18,059
- “quebrado” frequency rank
- #18,364
- “quebrar” frequency rank
- 36423
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | quebrado | quebrar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Que ha entrado en bancarrota o quiebra. | Romper una cosa. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set quebrado and quebrar apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: quebrado is [keˈβ̞ɾað̞o] while quebrar is [keˈβ̞ɾaɾ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 36423, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
quebrado is recorded at frequency rank #18,059, classified as anadj, pronounced [keˈβ̞ɾað̞o]. quebrar is at rank #18,364, tagged as averb, pronounced [keˈβ̞ɾaɾ].
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 36423, this pair ranks #180,684 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of quebrado vs quebrar
Shared letters: abeqru. Private to "quebrado": do. Private to "quebrar": -.
"quebrado" · 8 letters · shape CVVCCVCV · "quebrar" · 7 letters · shape CVVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "quebrado" and "quebrar" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "quebrado" or "quebrar"?
Remembering quebrado vs quebrar
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “quebrado”; for a verb, it's “quebrar”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “quebrado” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable