consistevsconsistirWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#2,244
“consiste” frequency rank
#39,662
“consistir” frequency rank
41906
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature consiste consistir
Definition Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de consistir. Referido a un objeto, actividad, etc., estar basado, fundado o constituido por los elementos o procedimientos mencionados tras la preposición en.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set consiste and consistir apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
consiste
9 ch
consistir

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. consiste ([kõnˈsist̪e]) and consistir ([kõnsisˈt̪iɾ]) 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 41906, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

consiste is recorded at frequency rank #2,244, classified as averb, pronounced [kõnˈsist̪e]. consistir is at rank #39,662, tagged as averb, pronounced [kõnsisˈt̪iɾ].

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 41906, this pair ranks #151,146 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of consiste vs consistir

Shared letters: cinost. Private to "consiste": e. Private to "consistir": r.

"consiste" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCCV  ·  "consistir" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • consistecconsiste · cnosiste · conciste · conisste · connsiste · consiset · consisste · consistte
  • consistircconsistir · cnosistir · concistir · conisstir · connsistir · consisitr · consisstir · consistirr

Frequency comparison

consiste#2,244
consistir#39,662

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "consiste" and "consistir" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([kõnˈsist̪e] versus [kõnsisˈt̪iɾ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "consiste" or "consistir"?
"consiste" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,244 in our Spanish list, against #39,662 for "consistir". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering consiste vs consistir

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 “consiste” 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