rebajarvsrelajarWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#20,794
“rebajar” frequency rank
#26,594
“relajar” frequency rank
47388
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature rebajar relajar
Definition Bajar algo por debajo de su nivel normal. Aflojar, ablandar, soltar.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set rebajar and relajar apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
rebajar
7 ch
relajar

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. rebajar ([reβ̞aˈxaɾ]) and relajar ([relaˈxaɾ]) 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 a single letter - b in “rebajar” becomes l in “relajar”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 47388, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

rebajar is recorded at frequency rank #20,794, classified as averb, pronounced [reβ̞aˈxaɾ]. relajar is at rank #26,594, tagged as averb, pronounced [relaˈxaɾ].

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 47388, this pair ranks #120,314 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of rebajar vs relajar

Shared letters: aejr. Private to "rebajar": b. Private to "relajar": l.

"rebajar" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC  ·  "relajar" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • rebajarerbajar · rbeajar · reabjar · rebaajr · rebajarr · rebajjar · rebajra · rebbajar
  • relajarerlajar · realjar · relaajr · relajarr · relajjar · relajra · reljaar · rellajar

Frequency comparison

rebajar#20,794
relajar#26,594

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "rebajar" and "relajar" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([reβ̞aˈxaɾ] versus [relaˈxaɾ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "rebajar" or "relajar"?
"rebajar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #20,794 in our Spanish list, against #26,594 for "relajar". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering rebajar vs relajar

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 “rebajar” 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