Which to use
“quema” is a noun and “quemar” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #6,348
- “quema” frequency rank
- #5,659
- “quemar” frequency rank
- 12007
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | quema | quemar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Acción o efecto de quemar. | Prender fuego y hacer que la cosa arda hasta consumirse total o parcialmente. |
Where the eye mixes quema and quemar
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses quema with quemar
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: quema is [ˈkema] while quemar is [keˈmaɾ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “quema” sits inside “quemar”, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 12007, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
quema is recorded at frequency rank #6,348, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈkema]. quemar is at rank #5,659, tagged as averb, pronounced [keˈmaɾ].
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 12007, this pair ranks #293,064 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of quema vs quemar
Shared letters: aemqu. Private to "quema": -. Private to "quemar": r.
"quema" · 5 letters · shape CVVCV · "quemar" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "quema" for "quemar" ever safe?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "quema" or "quemar" show up more?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "quema" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "quemar" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #293,064 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "quema" and "quemar" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "quema vs Quim". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #293,064 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.