aparecenvsaparecerWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#2,149
“aparecen” frequency rank
#3,299
“aparecer” frequency rank
5448
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature aparecen aparecer
Definition Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de aparecer o de aparecerse. Dejarse ver o hacerse presente, especialmente si es por sorpresa.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set aparecen and aparecer apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
aparecen
8 ch
aparecer

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. aparecen ([apaˈɾesẽn]) and aparecer ([apaɾeˈseɾ]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by a single letter - n in “aparecen” becomes r in “aparecer”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 5448, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

aparecen is recorded at frequency rank #2,149, classified as averb, pronounced [apaˈɾesẽn]. aparecer is at rank #3,299, tagged as averb, pronounced [apaɾeˈseɾ].

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 5448, this pair ranks #313,602 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of aparecen vs aparecer

Shared letters: acepr. Private to "aparecen": n. Private to "aparecer": -.

"aparecen" · 8 letters · shape VCVCVCVC  ·  "aparecer" · 8 letters · shape VCVCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • aparecenaaprecen · apaercen · aparceen · apareccen · aparecenn · aparecne · apareecn · aparesen
  • apareceraaprecer · apaercer · aparceer · apareccer · aparecerr · aparecre · apareecr · apareser

Frequency comparison

aparecen#2,149
aparecer#3,299

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "aparecen" and "aparecer" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([apaˈɾesẽn] versus [apaɾeˈseɾ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "aparecen" or "aparecer"?
"aparecen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,149 in our Spanish list, against #3,299 for "aparecer". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering aparecen vs aparecer

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 “aparecen” 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