refránvsrefranesWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#19,865
“refrán” frequency rank
#36,258
“refranes” frequency rank
56123
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature refrán refranes
Definition Serie de versos que se repiten en un poema o canción. Forma del plural de refrán.

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
refrán
8 ch
refranes

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. refrán ([reˈfɾãn]) and refranes ([reˈfɾanes]) 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 56123, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

refrán is recorded at frequency rank #19,865, classified as anoun, pronounced [reˈfɾãn]. refranes is at rank #36,258, tagged as anoun, pronounced [reˈfɾanes].

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 56123, this pair ranks #75,939 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of refrán vs refranes

Shared letters: efnr. Private to "refrán": á. Private to "refranes": as.

"refrán" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "refranes" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • refraneserfranes · refarnes · reffranes · refraens · refraness · refrannes · refranse · refrnaes

Frequency comparison

refrán#19,865
refranes#36,258

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "refrán" and "refranes" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([reˈfɾãn] versus [reˈfɾanes]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "refrán" or "refranes"?
"refrán" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #19,865 in our Spanish list, against #36,258 for "refranes". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering refrán vs refranes

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 “refrán” 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