sobrarvssóbrioWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: sobrar is a verb, sóbrio is an adjective, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“sobrar” is a verb and “sóbrio” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#19,849
“sobrar” frequency rank
#19,003
“sóbrio” frequency rank
38852
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature sobrar sóbrio
Definition subsistir como resto, sobra ou remanescente; existir ou estar ainda disponível; conservar-se, ficar, restar, permanecer sério, discreto

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set sobrar and sóbrio apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
sobrar
6 ch
sóbrio

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: sobrar is averb and sóbrioanadjective. On the page they share most of their letters but differ in 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38852, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

sobrar is recorded at frequency rank #19,849, classified as averb, pronounced /su.ˈbɾaɾ/. sóbrio is at rank #19,003, tagged as anadj.

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 38852, this pair ranks #27,526 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of sobrar vs sóbrio

Shared letters: bors. Private to "sobrar": a. Private to "sóbrio": .

"sobrar" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "sóbrio" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • sobrarosbrar · sborar · sobarr · sobbrar · sobrarr · sobrra · sobrrar · sorbar

Frequency comparison

sobrar#19,849
sóbrio#19,003

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "sobrar" and "sóbrio" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "sobrar" is a verb and "sóbrio" an adjective, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "sobrar" or "sóbrio"?
"sóbrio" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #19,003 in our Portuguese list, against #19,849 for "sobrar". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering sobrar vs sóbrio

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “sobrar”; for an adjective, it's “sóbrio”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “sobrar” 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