Which to use
“retirar” and “retirarse” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #5,429
- “retirar” frequency rank
- #7,783
- “retirarse” frequency rank
- 13212
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | retirar | retirarse |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Quitar o alejar a algo o alguien de una cosa o persona, de modo que no estén en contacto. | Quitarse o alejarse de algo o alguien, de modo de no estar en contacto. |
Where the eye mixes retirar and retirarse
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. retirar runs 7 letters (CVCVCVC) against retirarse's 9 (CVCVCVCCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: retirar vs retirarse
A purely visual mix-up. retirar ([ret̪iˈɾaɾ]) and retirarse ([ret̪iˈɾaɾse]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “retirar” sits inside “retirarse”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 13212, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
retirar is recorded at frequency rank #5,429, classified as averb, pronounced [ret̪iˈɾaɾ]. retirarse is at rank #7,783, tagged as averb, pronounced [ret̪iˈɾaɾse].
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 13212, this pair ranks #288,678 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of retirar vs retirarse
Shared letters: aeirt. Private to "retirar": -. Private to "retirarse": s.
"retirar" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC · "retirarse" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "retirar" for "retirarse" ever safe?
Which is more common, "retirar" or "retirarse"?
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 "retirar" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "retirarse" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #288,678 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "retirar" and "retirarse" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "regirán vs retirar". 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 #288,678 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.