Which to use
“retrasar” and “retraso” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #17,808
- “retrasar” frequency rank
- #6,113
- “retraso” frequency rank
- 23921
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | retrasar | retraso |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Hacer que algo llegue o suceda más tarde del tiempo debido o acordado. | Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de indicativo de retrasar. |
Where the eye mixes retrasar and retraso
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. retrasar runs 8 letters (CVCCVCVC) against retraso's 7 (CVCCVCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: retrasar vs retraso
A purely visual mix-up. retrasar ([ret̪ɾaˈsaɾ]) 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 23921, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
retrasar is recorded at frequency rank #17,808, classified as averb, pronounced [ret̪ɾaˈsaɾ]. 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 23921, this pair ranks #243,552 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of retrasar vs retraso
Shared letters: aerst. Private to "retrasar": -. Private to "retraso": o.
"retrasar" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC · "retraso" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "retrasar" and "retraso" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "retrasar" or "retraso"?
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 "retrasar" 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 #243,552 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "retrasar" and "retraso" 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 #243,552 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.