Which to use
“reír” is a verb and “ría” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #5,778
- “reír” frequency rank
- #16,450
- “ría” frequency rank
- 22228
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | reír | ría |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Reírse (emitir sonidos de alegría con la boca). | Parte de mar que se interna tierra adentro en una cuenca fluvial. |
Where the eye mixes reír and ría
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between reír and ría
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: reír is [reˈiɾ] while ría is [ˈria]. 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 22228, 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]. ría is at rank #16,450, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈria].
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 22228, this pair ranks #251,322 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of reír vs ría
Shared letters: rí. Private to "reír": e. Private to "ría": a.
"reír" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "ría" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "reír" for "ría" ever safe?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "reír" or "ría" show up more?
What to do next
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 "ría" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #251,322 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "reír" and "ría" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "ría vs rifas". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #251,322 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.