Which to use
“retira” is a verb and “retro” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #9,532
- “retira” frequency rank
- #18,671
- “retro” frequency rank
- 28203
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | retira | retro |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de retirar o de retirarse. | Que a causa de su apariencia evoca al pasado; que su apariencia está inspirada en diseños del pasado. |
Where the eye mixes retira and retro
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses retira with retro
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: retira is [reˈt̪iɾa] while retro is [ˈret̪ɾo]. 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 adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 28203, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
retira is recorded at frequency rank #9,532, classified as averb, pronounced [reˈt̪iɾa]. retro is at rank #18,671, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈret̪ɾo].
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 28203, this pair ranks #223,126 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of retira vs retro
Shared letters: ert. Private to "retira": ai. Private to "retro": o.
"retira" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV · "retro" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "retira" and "retro" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "retira" vs "retro" - which ranks higher?
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 "retira" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "retro" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #223,126 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "retira" and "retro" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "rengo vs retro". 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 #223,126 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.