relajarvsrematarWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#26,594
“relajar” frequency rank
#23,926
“rematar” frequency rank
50520
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature relajar rematar
Definition Aflojar, ablandar, soltar. Causar la muerte a un ser que agoniza.

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
relajar
7 ch
rematar

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. relajar ([relaˈxaɾ]) and rematar ([remaˈt̪aɾ]) 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 50520, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

relajar is recorded at frequency rank #26,594, classified as averb, pronounced [relaˈxaɾ]. rematar is at rank #23,926, tagged as averb, pronounced [remaˈt̪aɾ].

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 50520, this pair ranks #102,748 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of relajar vs rematar

Shared letters: aer. Private to "relajar": jl. Private to "rematar": mt.

"relajar" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC  ·  "rematar" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • relajarerlajar · realjar · relaajr · relajarr · relajjar · relajra · reljaar · rellajar
  • rematarermatar · reamtar · remaatr · rematarr · rematra · remattar · remmatar · remtaar

Frequency comparison

relajar#26,594
rematar#23,926

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "relajar" and "rematar" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([relaˈxaɾ] versus [remaˈt̪aɾ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "relajar" or "rematar"?
"rematar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #23,926 in our Spanish list, against #26,594 for "relajar". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering relajar vs rematar

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 “relajar” 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