Which to use
“rayar” and “robar” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #39,954
- “rayar” frequency rank
- #3,080
- “robar” frequency rank
- 43034
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | rayar | robar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Trazar rayas o líneas en una superficie. | Quitar o tomar para sí lo ajeno usando la fuerza. |
Where the eye mixes rayar and robar
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: rayar vs robar
A purely visual mix-up. rayar ([raˈʝaɾ]) and robar ([roˈβ̞aɾ]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 43034, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
rayar is recorded at frequency rank #39,954, classified as averb, pronounced [raˈʝaɾ]. robar is at rank #3,080, tagged as averb, pronounced [roˈβ̞aɾ].
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 43034, this pair ranks #144,908 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of rayar vs robar
Shared letters: ar. Private to "rayar": y. Private to "robar": bo.
"rayar" · 5 letters · shape CVVVC · "robar" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "rayar" and "robar" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "rayar" vs "robar" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "rayar" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "robar" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #144,908 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "rayar" and "robar" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "rayar vs rayón". 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 #144,908 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.