caístevscreísteWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#32,127
“caíste” frequency rank
#34,033
“creíste” frequency rank
66160
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature caíste creíste
Definition Segunda persona del singular (tú, vos) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de caer o de caerse. Segunda persona del singular (tú, vos) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de creer o de creerse.

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
caíste
7 ch
creíste

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. caíste ([kaˈist̪e]) and creíste ([kɾeˈist̪e]) 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 66160, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

caíste is recorded at frequency rank #32,127, classified as averb, pronounced [kaˈist̪e]. creíste is at rank #34,033, tagged as averb, pronounced [kɾeˈist̪e].

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 66160, this pair ranks #40,607 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of caíste vs creíste

Shared letters: cestí. Private to "caíste": a. Private to "creíste": r.

"caíste" · 6 letters · shape CVVCCV  ·  "creíste" · 7 letters · shape CCVVCCV

Frequency comparison

caíste#32,127
creíste#34,033

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "caíste" and "creíste" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([kaˈist̪e] versus [kɾeˈist̪e]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "caíste" or "creíste"?
"caíste" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #32,127 in our Spanish list, against #34,033 for "creíste". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering caíste vs creíste

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 “caíste” 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