cobrar vs cobre, What's the Difference?

Which to use

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

#5,175
“cobrar” frequency rank: #3,888
“cobre” frequency rank: 9063
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	cobrar	cobre
Definition	pedir ou ordenar o recebimento de algo	elemento de símbolo Cu, possui o número atômico 29 e massa atômica relativa de 63,536 u; é um metal avermelhado, encontrado na natureza associado a minérios como a cuprita, malaquita, calcopirita e a bornita; por ser excelente condutor de eletricidade e muito resistente à corrosão, é empregado em condutores elétricos, motores, eletroímãs e encanamentos

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch

cobrar

5 ch

cobre

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

cobrar and cobre form a confusable pair in the Portuguese index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 9063, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

cobrar is recorded at frequency rank #5,175, classified as averb, pronounced /ko.ˈbɾaχ/. cobre is at rank #3,888, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈkɔ.bɾi/.

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 9063, this pair ranks #64,497 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

cobrar#5,175

cobre#3,888

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "cobrar" and "cobre" be used interchangeably?

No, "cobrar" and "cobre" 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 cobrar vs cobre

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

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