Which to use
“ran” is a verb and “ratón” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #24,290
- “ran” frequency rank
- #8,860
- “ratón” frequency rank
- 33150
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ran | ratón |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Pasado simple (irregular) del verbo (to) run. | Cualquiera de las numerosas especies de roedores de la familia de los múridos, similares a las ratas pero de tamaño más pequeño. Tienen el hocico puntiagudo, orejas apantalladas y la cola larga. Son muchas veces comensales del ser humano o plagas de los cultivos, y algunas especies son domésticas. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ran and ratón apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
ran and ratón form a confusable pair in the Spanish index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 2 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 33150, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ran is recorded at frequency rank #24,290, classified as averb, pronounced /ɹæn/. ratón is at rank #8,860, tagged as anoun, pronounced [raˈt̪õn].
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 33150, this pair ranks #198,340 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ran" and "ratón" be used interchangeably?
Remembering ran vs ratón
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “ran”; for a noun, it's “ratón”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “ran” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable