sobranvssobrasWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: sobran is a verb, sobras is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“sobran” is a verb and “sobras” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#12,717
“sobran” frequency rank
#18,982
“sobras” frequency rank
31699
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature sobran sobras
Definition Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de sobrar. Parte que queda de algo, especialmente comida, después de usarlo o consumirlo.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set sobran and sobras apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
sobran
6 ch
sobras

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: sobran is [ˈsoβ̞ɾãn] while sobras is [ˈsoβ̞ɾas]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - n in “sobran” becomes s in “sobras”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 31699, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

sobran is recorded at frequency rank #12,717, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈsoβ̞ɾãn]. sobras is at rank #18,982, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈsoβ̞ɾas].

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 31699, this pair ranks #205,765 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of sobran vs sobras

Shared letters: abors. Private to "sobran": n. Private to "sobras": -.

"sobran" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "sobras" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • sobranosbran · sboran · sobarn · sobbran · sobrann · sobrna · sobrran · sorban
  • sobrasosbras · sboras · sobars · sobbras · sobrass · sobrras · sobrsa · sorbas

Frequency comparison

sobran#12,717
sobras#18,982

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "sobran" and "sobras" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "sobran" is a verb and "sobras" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "sobran" or "sobras"?
"sobran" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #12,717 in our Spanish list, against #18,982 for "sobras". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering sobran vs sobras

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “sobran”; for a noun, it's “sobras”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “sobran” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list