recursovsreversoWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#3,285
“recurso” frequency rank
#19,550
“reverso” frequency rank
22835
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature recurso reverso
Definition Acción o efecto de recurrir (buscar la ayuda de un juez, autoridad, o alguien con capacidad para darla; reaparecer; regresar). Parte de un objeto que está frente a la parte delantera del objeto

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set recurso and reverso apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
recurso
7 ch
reverso

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. recurso ([reˈkuɾso]) and reverso ([reˈβ̞eɾso]) 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 22835, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

recurso is recorded at frequency rank #3,285, classified as anoun, pronounced [reˈkuɾso]. reverso is at rank #19,550, tagged as anoun, pronounced [reˈβ̞eɾso].

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 22835, this pair ranks #248,524 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of recurso vs reverso

Shared letters: eors. Private to "recurso": cu. Private to "reverso": v.

"recurso" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV  ·  "reverso" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • recursoercurso · rceurso · reccurso · recruso · recuros · recurrso · recusro · reucrso
  • reversoerverso · reberso · reevrso · reveros · reverrso · reversso · revesro · revreso

Frequency comparison

recurso#3,285
reverso#19,550

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "recurso" and "reverso" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([reˈkuɾso] versus [reˈβ̞eɾso]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "recurso" or "reverso"?
"recurso" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,285 in our Spanish list, against #19,550 for "reverso". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering recurso vs reverso

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 “recurso” 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