Which to use
“retiraba” and “retrasa” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #37,305
- “retiraba” frequency rank
- #28,549
- “retrasa” frequency rank
- 65854
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | retiraba | retrasa |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de retirar o de retirarse. | Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de retrasar. |
Where the eye mixes retiraba and retrasa
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. retiraba runs 8 letters (CVCVCVCV) against retrasa's 7 (CVCCVCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: retiraba vs retrasa
A purely visual mix-up. retiraba ([ret̪iˈɾaβ̞a]) and retrasa ([reˈt̪ɾasa]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 65854, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
retiraba is recorded at frequency rank #37,305, classified as averb, pronounced [ret̪iˈɾaβ̞a]. retrasa is at rank #28,549, tagged as averb, pronounced [reˈt̪ɾasa].
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 65854, this pair ranks #41,451 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of retiraba vs retrasa
Shared letters: aert. Private to "retiraba": bi. Private to "retrasa": s.
"retiraba" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCVCV · "retrasa" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "retiraba" for "retrasa" ever safe?
Which is more common, "retiraba" or "retrasa"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "retiraba" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "retrasa" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #41,451 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "retiraba" and "retrasa" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "reinaba vs retiraba". 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 #41,451 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.