ajustarvsajustenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#10,257
“ajustar” frequency rank
#35,332
“ajusten” frequency rank
45589
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature ajustar ajusten
Definition Modificar hasta llevar a la forma o tamaño justo o adecuado, en particular para permitir que case o que no discrepe con otra cosa, o que sus partes se acoplen bien. Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de subjuntivo de ajustar o de ajustarse.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ajustar and ajusten apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
ajustar
7 ch
ajusten

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. ajustar ([axusˈt̪aɾ]) and ajusten ([aˈxust̪ẽn]) 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 45589, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

ajustar is recorded at frequency rank #10,257, classified as averb, pronounced [axusˈt̪aɾ]. ajusten is at rank #35,332, tagged as averb, pronounced [aˈxust̪ẽn].

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 45589, this pair ranks #130,564 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of ajustar vs ajusten

Shared letters: ajstu. Private to "ajustar": r. Private to "ajusten": en.

"ajustar" · 7 letters · shape VCVCCVC  ·  "ajusten" · 7 letters · shape VCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • ajustarajjustar · ajsutar · ajusatr · ajusstar · ajustarr · ajustra · ajusttar · ajutsar
  • ajustenajjusten · ajsuten · ajusetn · ajussten · ajustenn · ajustne · ajustten · ajutsen

Frequency comparison

ajustar#10,257
ajusten#35,332

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "ajustar" and "ajusten" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([axusˈt̪aɾ] versus [aˈxust̪ẽn]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "ajustar" or "ajusten"?
"ajustar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #10,257 in our Spanish list, against #35,332 for "ajusten". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering ajustar vs ajusten

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 “ajustar” 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