subirvssuplirWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#1,703
“subir” frequency rank
#24,321
“suplir” frequency rank
26024
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature subir suplir
Definition Pasar de un sitio o lugar a otro superior o elevado. Poner o proveer lo que falta; llenar, subsanar o remediar una carencia.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set subir and suplir apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
subir
6 ch
suplir

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. subir ([suˈβ̞iɾ]) and suplir ([suˈpliɾ]) 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 26024, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

subir is recorded at frequency rank #1,703, classified as averb, pronounced [suˈβ̞iɾ]. suplir is at rank #24,321, tagged as averb, pronounced [suˈpliɾ].

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 26024, this pair ranks #233,692 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of subir vs suplir

Shared letters: irsu. Private to "subir": b. Private to "suplir": lp.

"subir" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC  ·  "suplir" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • subirsbuir · ssubir · subbir · subirr · subri · suibr · suvir · usbir
  • suplirspulir · ssuplir · sulpir · supilr · suplirr · supllir · suplri · supplir

Frequency comparison

subir#1,703
suplir#24,321

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "subir" and "suplir" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([suˈβ̞iɾ] versus [suˈpliɾ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "subir" or "suplir"?
"subir" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,703 in our Spanish list, against #24,321 for "suplir". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering subir vs suplir

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “subir” 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