Which to use
“condense” and “convene” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #41,059
- “condense” frequency rank
- #27,413
- “convene” frequency rank
- 68472
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | condense | convene |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To concentrate toward the essence by making more close, compact, or dense, thereby decreasing size or volume. | To come together; to meet; to unite. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set condense and convene apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
condense and convene form a confusable pair in the English 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 68472, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
condense is recorded at frequency rank #41,059, classified as averb, pronounced /kənˈdɛns/. convene is at rank #27,413, tagged as averb, pronounced /kənˈviːn/.
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 68472, this pair ranks #58,731 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "condense" and "convene" be used interchangeably?
Remembering condense vs convene
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 “condense” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable