aguantarvsaguantarseWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“aguantar” and “aguantarse” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#5,578
“aguantar” frequency rank
#45,718
“aguantarse” frequency rank
51296
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature aguantar aguantarse
Definition Mantenerse en una posición o actitud a pesar de contratiempos o embates. No responder, contener el impulso de contestar o reaccionar.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set aguantar and aguantarse apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
aguantar
10 ch
aguantarse

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

aguantar and aguantarse form a confusable pair in the Spanish index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “aguantar” sits inside “aguantarse” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 51296, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

aguantar is recorded at frequency rank #5,578, classified as averb, pronounced [aɣ̞wãn̪ˈt̪aɾ]. aguantarse is at rank #45,718, tagged as averb, pronounced [aɣ̞wãn̪ˈt̪aɾse].

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 51296, this pair ranks #98,591 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Frequency comparison

aguantar#5,578
aguantarse#45,718

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "aguantar" and "aguantarse" be used interchangeably?
No, "aguantar" and "aguantarse" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering aguantar vs aguantarse

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 “aguantar” 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