sostener

[sost̪eˈneɾ]

/[sost̪eˈneɾ]/ verb

The verdict

“sostener” is a regularly-used Spanish word, ranked #6,593 in Spanish word frequency and used as a verb.

#6,593
frequency rank, Spanish
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Tener o mantener algo en la mano.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

sostener vs sostiene
75% similar
sostener vs sostenía
75% similar
sostener vs sostengo
75% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for sostener
PropertyValue
Headwordsostener
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechVerb
IPA[sost̪eˈneɾ]
Letters8
Frequency rank#6,593
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “sostener” sits in Spanish frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). sostener lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The Spanish entry for sostener is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [sost̪eˈneɾ]. Corpus data places it at rank #6,593 in overall Spanish word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for sostener, with forms such as "osstener", "sosetner", and "sosstener". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 7 confusable-pair relationships, "sostiene", "sostenía", "sostengo", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct Spanish form is sostener, spelled S-O-S-T-E-N-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Tener o mantener algo en la mano.
  2. 2
    Mantener algo de tal forma que no se mueva.
  3. 3
    Mantener o continuar con una acción o situación.
  4. 4
    Apoyar, soportar una causa, una idea a alguien.
  5. 5
    Proporcionar a alguien los medios para satisfacer sus necesidades básicas.
  6. 6
    Fortalecer.
  7. 7
    Aseverar.
  8. 8
    Sufrir o tolerar.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: osstener,sosetner,sosstener,sosteenr,sostenerr,sostenner,sostenre,sostneer,sosttener,sotsener,ssostener,ssotener

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of sostener - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

osstener2sosetner2sosstener1sosteenr2sostenerr1sostenner1sostenre2sostneer2
Edit distance from "sostener"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 Spanish corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "sostener"?
"sostener" is spelled S-O-S-T-E-N-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is [sost̪eˈneɾ].
What does "sostener" mean?
As a verb, "sostener" means: Tener o mantener algo en la mano.
What words are commonly confused with "sostener"?
"sostener" is commonly confused with "sostiene", "sostenía", "sostengo". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "sostener"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sostener" is [sost̪eˈneɾ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "sostener" come from?
"sostener" is a Spanish word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “sostener”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is S-O-S-T-E-N-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [sost̪eˈneɾ] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “sostiene” - see the side-by-side comparison. sostener vs sostiene
  • Browse more Spanish words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Spanish words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list