Which to use
“construir” and “construye” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,599
- “construir” frequency rank
- #6,995
- “construye” frequency rank
- 8594
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | construir | construye |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Edificar, hacer de nueva planta una obra de ingeniería, arquitectura o albañilería, como una casa o un edificio. | Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de construir. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set construir and construye apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. construir ([kõnsˈt̪ɾwiɾ]) and construye ([kõnsˈt̪ɾuʝe]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 8594, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
construir is recorded at frequency rank #1,599, classified as averb, pronounced [kõnsˈt̪ɾwiɾ]. construye is at rank #6,995, tagged as averb, pronounced [kõnsˈt̪ɾuʝe].
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 8594, this pair ranks #304,539 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of construir vs construye
Shared letters: cnorstu. Private to "construir": i. Private to "construye": ey.
"construir" · 9 letters · shape CVCCCCVVC · "construye" · 9 letters · shape CVCCCCVVV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "construir" and "construye" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "construir" or "construye"?
Remembering construir vs construye
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 “construir” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable