Which to use
“recitar” and “retar” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #30,220
- “recitar” frequency rank
- #37,304
- “retar” frequency rank
- 67524
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | recitar | retar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Decir en voz alta y ante un público un discurso, mensaje, cuento o texto. | Dicho de un noble: acusar ante el rey a otro noble de alevosía, quedando obligado el primero a mantener la denuncia en buena lid. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set recitar and retar apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. recitar ([resiˈt̪aɾ]) and retar ([reˈt̪aɾ]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 67524, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
recitar is recorded at frequency rank #30,220, classified as averb, pronounced [resiˈt̪aɾ]. retar is at rank #37,304, tagged as averb, pronounced [reˈt̪aɾ].
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 67524, this pair ranks #36,892 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of recitar vs retar
Shared letters: aert. Private to "recitar": ci. Private to "retar": -.
"recitar" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC · "retar" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "recitar" and "retar" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "recitar" or "retar"?
Remembering recitar vs retar
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 “recitar” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable