Which to use
“cien” is a num and “cuán” is an adverb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,593
- “cien” frequency rank
- #6,647
- “cuán” frequency rank
- 9240
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | cien | cuán |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Diez veces diez. | Se usa en oraciones exclamativas para acentuar el grado o la intensidad. |
Where the eye mixes cien and cuán
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between cien and cuán
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: cien is [ˈsjẽn] while cuán is [ˈkwãn]. 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 adverb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 9240, 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]. cuán is at rank #6,647, tagged as anadv, pronounced [ˈkwãn].
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 9240, this pair ranks #302,531 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of cien vs cuán
Shared letters: cn. Private to "cien": ei. Private to "cuán": uá.
"cien" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "cuán" · 4 letters · shape CVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- cien ← ccien · cein · cienn · icen
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "cien" and "cuán" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "cien" or "cuán"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "cien" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "cuán" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #302,531 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "cien" and "cuán" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "cuán vs cuc". 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 #302,531 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.