asistevsasistirWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#10,613
“asiste” frequency rank
#3,980
“asistir” frequency rank
14593
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature asiste asistir
Definition Segunda persona del singular (tú, vos) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de asir. Estar presente en una convocatoria, ir a un acto público.

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
asiste
7 ch
asistir

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. asiste ([aˈsist̪e]) and asistir ([asisˈt̪iɾ]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 14593, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

asiste is recorded at frequency rank #10,613, classified as averb, pronounced [aˈsist̪e]. asistir is at rank #3,980, tagged as averb, pronounced [asisˈt̪iɾ].

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 14593, this pair ranks #283,507 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of asiste vs asistir

Shared letters: aist. Private to "asiste": e. Private to "asistir": r.

"asiste" · 6 letters · shape VCVCCV  ·  "asistir" · 7 letters · shape VCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • asisteaciste · aisste · asiset · asisste · asistte · asitse · assiste · assite
  • asistiracistir · aisstir · asisitr · asisstir · asistirr · asistri · asisttir · asitsir

Frequency comparison

asiste#10,613
asistir#3,980

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "asiste" and "asistir" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([aˈsist̪e] versus [asisˈt̪iɾ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "asiste" or "asistir"?
"asistir" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,980 in our Spanish list, against #10,613 for "asiste". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering asiste vs asistir

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 “asiste” 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