Which to use
“retrasado” is an adjective and “retrasar” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #12,916
- “retrasado” frequency rank
- #17,808
- “retrasar” frequency rank
- 30724
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | retrasado | retrasar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Que padece retraso mental. | Hacer que algo llegue o suceda más tarde del tiempo debido o acordado. |
Where the eye mixes retrasado and retrasar
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. retrasado runs 9 letters (CVCCVCVCV) against retrasar's 8 (CVCCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses retrasado with retrasar
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: retrasado is [ret̪ɾaˈsað̞o] while retrasar is [ret̪ɾaˈsaɾ]. 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 (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 30724, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
retrasado is recorded at frequency rank #12,916, classified as anadj, pronounced [ret̪ɾaˈsað̞o]. retrasar is at rank #17,808, tagged as averb, pronounced [ret̪ɾaˈsaɾ].
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 30724, this pair ranks #210,608 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of retrasado vs retrasar
Shared letters: aerst. Private to "retrasado": do. Private to "retrasar": -.
"retrasado" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCVCV · "retrasar" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "retrasado" and "retrasar" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "retrasado" or "retrasar"?
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 "retrasado" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "retrasar" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #210,608 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "retrasado" and "retrasar" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "retrasan vs retrasar". 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 #210,608 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.