Which to use
“tocar” and “tocarse” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,138
- “tocar” frequency rank
- #36,328
- “tocarse” frequency rank
- 38466
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | tocar | tocarse |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Percibir las cualidades de un objeto mediante el sentido del tacto. | Tocar (uso pronominal de ...) |
Where the eye mixes tocar and tocarse
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between tocar and tocarse
A purely visual mix-up. tocar ([t̪oˈkaɾ]) and tocarse ([t̪oˈkaɾse]) 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) - “tocar” sits inside “tocarse”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38466, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
tocar is recorded at frequency rank #2,138, classified as averb, pronounced [t̪oˈkaɾ]. tocarse is at rank #36,328, tagged as averb, pronounced [t̪oˈkaɾse].
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 38466, this pair ranks #169,846 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of tocar vs tocarse
Shared letters: acort. Private to "tocar": -. Private to "tocarse": es.
"tocar" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "tocarse" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "tocar" and "tocarse" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "tocar" or "tocarse"?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "tocar" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "tocarse" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #169,846 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "tocar" and "tocarse" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "tocarse vs tomase". 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 #169,846 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.