Which to use
“subas” and “subasta” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #22,872
- “subas” frequency rank
- #9,545
- “subasta” frequency rank
- 32417
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | subas | subasta |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Segunda persona del singular (tú) del presente de subjuntivo de subir o de subirse. | Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de subastar. |
Where the eye mixes subas and subasta
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: subas vs subasta
A purely visual mix-up. subas ([ˈsuβ̞as]) and subasta ([suˈβ̞ast̪a]) 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) - “subas” sits inside “subasta”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 32417, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
subas is recorded at frequency rank #22,872, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈsuβ̞as]. subasta is at rank #9,545, tagged as averb, pronounced [suˈβ̞ast̪a].
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 32417, this pair ranks #202,067 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of subas vs subasta
Shared letters: absu. Private to "subas": -. Private to "subasta": t.
"subas" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "subasta" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "subas" for "subasta" ever safe?
Which is more common, "subas" or "subasta"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "subas" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "subasta" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #202,067 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "subas" and "subasta" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "subas vs subís". 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 #202,067 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.