sobrarvssoltarWhat's the difference?

By · Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org ·

Which to use

“sobrar” and “soltar” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#19,849
“sobrar” frequency rank
#5,356
“soltar” frequency rank
25205
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

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

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
sobrar
6 ch
soltar

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. sobrar (/su.ˈbɾaɾ/) and soltar (/soɫ.ˈtaɾ/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 25205, 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/. soltar is at rank #5,356, tagged as averb, pronounced /soɫ.ˈtaɾ/.

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 25205, this pair ranks #44,161 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of sobrar vs soltar

Shared letters: aors. Private to "sobrar": b. Private to "soltar": lt.

"sobrar" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "soltar" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • sobrar ← osbrar · sborar · sobarr · sobbrar · sobrarr · sobrra · sobrrar · sorbar
  • soltar ← osltar · slotar · solatr · solltar · soltarr · soltra · solttar · sotlar

Frequency comparison

sobrar#19,849
soltar#5,356

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "sobrar" and "soltar" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently (/su.ˈbɾaɾ/ versus /soɫ.ˈtaɾ/) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "sobrar" or "soltar"?
"soltar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #5,356 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 soltar

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 “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