tracevstreceWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: trace is a verb, trece is a num, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“trace” is a verb and “trece” is a num - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#46,851
“trace” frequency rank
#6,471
“trece” frequency rank
53322
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature trace trece
Definition Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de subjuntivo de trazar. Doce y uno.

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
trace
5 ch
trece

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

trace and trece form a confusable pair in the Spanish index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by a single letter - a in “trace” becomes e in “trece” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 53322, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

trace is recorded at frequency rank #46,851, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈt̪ɾase]. trece is at rank #6,471, tagged as anum, pronounced [ˈt̪ɾese].

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 53322, this pair ranks #88,467 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Frequency comparison

trace#46,851
trece#6,471

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "trace" and "trece" be used interchangeably?
No, "trace" and "trece" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering trace vs trece

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “trace”; for a num, it's “trece”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “trace” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list