Spanish Words Starting with R

There are 12,810 Spanish words beginning with R, and close to eight in ten of them take an E next.

The Most Lopsided Page on the Site

E takes about seventy eight percent of the second position. A follows at nine, O at seven, U at three and I at two.

No other Spanish letter concentrates this heavily, and the reason is a single prefix rather than a sound pattern.

RE Attaches to Almost Anything

RE means again or back, and Spanish applies it freely to verbs. REPETIR, REVISAR and RECOGER share the prefix but nothing else.

Because every one of those verbs then carries dozens of conjugated forms, the branch multiplies until it swamps the rest of the page.

Everyday R Words Outside the Prefix

RAZÓN, RÁPIDO, RELOJ, RUIDO and RUEDA are ordinary vocabulary rather than prefixed verbs, and they are the entries worth learning first.

• Razón
• Rápido
• Reloj
• Ruido
• Rueda

An initial R in Spanish is always rolled, whatever follows it. That is why RATÓN and PERRO share the same strong trill while PERO has only a single tap.

Every entry on this page therefore begins with the strong sound, which is one thing the RE prefix does not change.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the RE branch so enormous

RE is a prefix, not a spelling pattern, so it combines with a very large set of verbs, and each of those contributes many conjugated forms.

Is the R at the start of a word always rolled

Yes. A single R is trilled whenever it begins a word, which is why it sounds the same as the double RR inside one.

What is the difference between PERO and PERRO

One tap against a full trill, and the meanings are but and dog. It is the standard example used to teach the contrast.