condenevscontieneWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#35,956
“condene” frequency rank
#2,016
“contiene” frequency rank
37972
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature condene contiene
Definition Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de subjuntivo de condenar o de condenarse. Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de contener.

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
condene
8 ch
contiene

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. condene ([kõn̪ˈd̪ene]) and contiene ([kõn̪ˈt̪jene]) 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 37972, 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]. contiene is at rank #2,016, tagged as averb, pronounced [kõn̪ˈt̪jene].

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 37972, this pair ranks #172,486 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of condene vs contiene

Shared letters: ceno. Private to "condene": d. Private to "contiene": it.

"condene" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV  ·  "contiene" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • condeneccondene · cnodene · codnene · conddene · condeen · condenne · condnee · conedne
  • contieneccontiene · cnotiene · conitene · conntiene · conteine · contieen · contienne · continee

Frequency comparison

condene#35,956
contiene#2,016

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "condene" and "contiene" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([kõn̪ˈd̪ene] versus [kõn̪ˈt̪jene]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "condene" or "contiene"?
"contiene" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,016 in our Spanish list, against #35,956 for "condene". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering condene vs contiene

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