regresarvsrepresaConfusable pair

Which to use

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

#2,420
“regresar” frequency rank
#21,137
“represa” frequency rank
23557
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature regresar represa
Definition Volver al punto de partida. Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de represar.

Where the eye mixes regresar and represa

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. regresar runs 8 letters (CVCCVCVC) against represa's 7 (CVCCVCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

8 ch
regresar
7 ch
represa

Look-alike desk: regresar vs represa

A purely visual mix-up. regresar ([reɣ̞ɾeˈsaɾ]) and represa ([reˈpɾesa]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 23557, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

regresar is recorded at frequency rank #2,420, classified as averb, pronounced [reɣ̞ɾeˈsaɾ]. represa is at rank #21,137, tagged as averb, pronounced [reˈpɾesa].

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 23557, this pair ranks #245,228 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of regresar vs represa

Shared letters: aers. Private to "regresar": g. Private to "represa": p.

"regresar" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC  ·  "represa" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • regresar ← ergresar · regersar · reggresar · regreasr · regresarr · regresra · regressar · regrresar
  • represa ← erpresa · repersa · reppresa · repreas · repressa · reprresa · reprsea · rerpesa

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "regresar" for "represa" ever safe?
No. They are said differently ([reɣ̞ɾeˈsaɾ] versus [reˈpɾesa]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "regresar" vs "represa" - which ranks higher?
"regresar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,420 in our Spanish list, against #21,137 for "represa". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

What to do next

Eye-level mix-up between "regresar" and "represa" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.

  • Full dictionary entry for "regresar" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "represa" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #245,228 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "regresar" and "represa" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "represa vs repulsa". Nearby pair
  • Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes

Confusion rank #245,228 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list