reírvsresConfusable pair

Quick tell: reír is a verb, res is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“reír” is a verb and “res” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#5,778
“reír” frequency rank
#10,209
“res” frequency rank
15987
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature reír res
Definition Reírse (emitir sonidos de alegría con la boca). Cabeza de ganado o de caza mayor, especialmente considerado en cuanto a su aprovechamiento alimentario o económico.

Where the eye mixes reír and res

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.

4 ch
reír
3 ch
res

Look-alike desk: reír vs res

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: reír is [reˈiɾ] while res is [ˈres]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 15987, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

reír is recorded at frequency rank #5,778, classified as averb, pronounced [reˈiɾ]. res is at rank #10,209, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈres].

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 15987, this pair ranks #277,967 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of reír vs res

Shared letters: er. Private to "reír": í. Private to "res": s.

"reír" · 4 letters · shape CVVC  ·  "res" · 3 letters · shape CVC

Frequently Asked Questions

Do "reír" and "res" mean the same thing in a sentence?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "reír" is a verb and "res" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Frequency check: "reír" vs "res" - which ranks higher?
"reír" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #5,778 in our Spanish list, against #10,209 for "res". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

After this comparison

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "reír" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "res" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #277,967 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "reír" and "res" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "res vs rias". Nearby pair

Confusion rank #277,967 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