condenevscontenerWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#35,956
“condene” frequency rank
#5,936
“contener” frequency rank
41892
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature condene contener
Definition Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de subjuntivo de condenar o de condenarse. Llevar en su interior, tener dentro de sí.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set condene and contener apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
condene
8 ch
contener

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. condene ([kõn̪ˈd̪ene]) and contener ([kõn̪t̪eˈneɾ]) 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 41892, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

condene is recorded at frequency rank #35,956, classified as averb, pronounced [kõn̪ˈd̪ene]. contener is at rank #5,936, tagged as averb, pronounced [kõn̪t̪eˈneɾ].

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 41892, this pair ranks #151,205 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of condene vs contener

Shared letters: ceno. Private to "condene": d. Private to "contener": rt.

"condene" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV  ·  "contener" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • condeneccondene · cnodene · codnene · conddene · condeen · condenne · condnee · conedne
  • contenerccontener · cnotener · conetner · conntener · conteenr · contenerr · contenner · contenre

Frequency comparison

condene#35,956
contener#5,936

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "condene" and "contener" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([kõn̪ˈd̪ene] versus [kõn̪t̪eˈneɾ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "condene" or "contener"?
"contener" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #5,936 in our Spanish list, against #35,956 for "condene". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering condene vs contener

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 “condene” 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