Which to use
“contenían” and “contentar” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #19,965
- “contenían” frequency rank
- #38,600
- “contentar” frequency rank
- 58565
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | contenían | contentar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de contener o de contenerse. | Dar contento. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set contenían and contentar 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. contenían ([kõn̪t̪eˈniãn]) and contentar ([kõn̪t̪ẽn̪ˈt̪aɾ]) 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 58565, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
contenían is recorded at frequency rank #19,965, classified as averb, pronounced [kõn̪t̪eˈniãn]. contentar is at rank #38,600, tagged as averb, pronounced [kõn̪t̪ẽn̪ˈt̪aɾ].
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 58565, this pair ranks #66,002 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of contenían vs contentar
Shared letters: acenot. Private to "contenían": í. Private to "contentar": r.
"contenían" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCVVC · "contentar" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- contentar ← ccontentar · cnotentar · conetntar · conntentar · contenatr · contenntar · contentarr · contentra
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "contenían" and "contentar" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "contenían" or "contentar"?
Remembering contenían vs contentar
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 “contenían” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable