retractovsretrasoConfusable pair

Which to use

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

#44,422
“retracto” frequency rank
#6,113
“retraso” frequency rank
50535
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature retracto retraso
Definition Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de indicativo de retractar. Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de indicativo de retrasar.

Where the eye mixes retracto and retraso

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. retracto runs 8 letters (CVCCVCCV) against retraso's 7 (CVCCVCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

8 ch
retracto
7 ch
retraso

Why the eye confuses retracto with retraso

A purely visual mix-up. retracto ([reˈt̪ɾakt̪o]) and retraso ([reˈt̪ɾaso]) 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 50535, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

retracto is recorded at frequency rank #44,422, classified as averb, pronounced [reˈt̪ɾakt̪o]. retraso is at rank #6,113, tagged as averb, pronounced [reˈt̪ɾaso].

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 50535, this pair ranks #102,682 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of retracto vs retraso

Shared letters: aeort. Private to "retracto": c. Private to "retraso": s.

"retracto" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCCV  ·  "retraso" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • retractoertracto · rertacto · retarcto · retraccto · retracot · retractto · retratco · retrcato
  • retrasoertraso · rertaso · retarso · retraos · retrasso · retrraso · retrsao · rettraso

Frequently Asked Questions

Do "retracto" and "retraso" mean the same thing in a sentence?
No. They are said differently ([reˈt̪ɾakt̪o] versus [reˈt̪ɾaso]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "retracto" or "retraso"?
"retraso" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,113 in our Spanish list, against #44,422 for "retracto". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

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 "retracto" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "retraso" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #102,682 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "retracto" and "retraso" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "redactó vs retracto". 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 #102,682 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list