Which to use
“cien” is a num and “cite” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,593
- “cien” frequency rank
- #34,003
- “cite” frequency rank
- 36596
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | cien | cite |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Diez veces diez. | Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de subjuntivo de citar. |
Where the eye mixes cien and cite
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses cien with cite
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: cien is [ˈsjẽn] while cite is [ˈsit̪e]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (num vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 36596, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
cien is recorded at frequency rank #2,593, classified as anum, pronounced [ˈsjẽn]. cite is at rank #34,003, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈsit̪e].
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 36596, this pair ranks #179,804 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of cien vs cite
Shared letters: cei. Private to "cien": n. Private to "cite": t.
"cien" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "cite" · 4 letters · shape CVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "cien" and "cite" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "cien" or "cite"?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "cien" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "cite" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #179,804 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "cien" and "cite" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "catre vs cite". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #179,804 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.