Which to use
“recibo” is a noun and “recreo” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #4,936
- “recibo” frequency rank
- #11,301
- “recreo” frequency rank
- 16237
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | recibo | recreo |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Acción o efecto de recibir. | Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de indicativo de recrear. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set recibo and recreo apart are highlighted. They share 4 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: recibo is [reˈsiβ̞o] while recreo is [reˈkɾeo]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 16237, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
recibo is recorded at frequency rank #4,936, classified as anoun, pronounced [reˈsiβ̞o]. recreo is at rank #11,301, tagged as averb, pronounced [reˈkɾeo].
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 16237, this pair ranks #276,977 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of recibo vs recreo
Shared letters: ceor. Private to "recibo": bi. Private to "recreo": -.
"recibo" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV · "recreo" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "recibo" and "recreo" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "recibo" or "recreo"?
Remembering recibo vs recreo
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “recibo”; for a verb, it's “recreo”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “recibo” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable