relajevsrelaxWhat's the difference?

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

Which to use

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

#49,899
“relaje” frequency rank
#15,703
“relax” frequency rank
65602
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature relaje relax
Definition Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de subjuntivo de relajar o de relajarse. Relajamiento (físico o psíquico de una persona).

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set relaje and relax apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
relaje
5 ch
relax

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: relaje is [reˈlaxe] while relax is [reˈlaks]. 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 65602, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

relaje is recorded at frequency rank #49,899, classified as averb, pronounced [reˈlaxe]. relax is at rank #15,703, tagged as anoun, pronounced [reˈlaks].

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 65602, this pair ranks #42,166 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of relaje vs relax

Shared letters: aelr. Private to "relaje": j. Private to "relax": x.

"relaje" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV  ·  "relax" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • relajeerlaje · realje · relaej · relajje · reljae · rellaje · rleaje · rrelaje
  • relaxerlax · realx · relaxx · rellax · relxa · rleax · rrelax

Frequency comparison

relaje#49,899
relax#15,703

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "relaje" and "relax" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "relaje" is a verb and "relax" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "relaje" or "relax"?
"relax" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #15,703 in our Spanish list, against #49,899 for "relaje". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering relaje vs relax

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “relaje”; for a noun, it's “relax”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “relaje” 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