Which to use
“recado” is a noun and “retardo” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #31,086
- “recado” frequency rank
- #35,235
- “retardo” frequency rank
- 66321
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | recado | retardo |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Acción o efecto de recadar. | Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de indicativo de retardar. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set recado and retardo apart are highlighted. They share 5 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: recado is [reˈkað̞o] while retardo is [reˈt̪aɾð̞o]. 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 (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 66321, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
recado is recorded at frequency rank #31,086, classified as anoun, pronounced [reˈkað̞o]. retardo is at rank #35,235, tagged as averb, pronounced [reˈt̪aɾð̞o].
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 66321, this pair ranks #40,171 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of recado vs retardo
Shared letters: adeor. Private to "recado": c. Private to "retardo": t.
"recado" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV · "retardo" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "recado" and "retardo" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "recado" or "retardo"?
Remembering recado vs retardo
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “recado”; for a verb, it's “retardo”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “recado” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable