Which to use
“contienda” and “contienen” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #10,119
- “contienda” frequency rank
- #5,479
- “contienen” frequency rank
- 15598
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | contienda | contienen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de subjuntivo de contender. | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de contener o de contenerse. |
Where the eye mixes contienda and contienen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. contienda (CVCCVVCCV) and contienen (CVCCVVCVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: contienda vs contienen
A purely visual mix-up. contienda ([kõn̪ˈt̪jẽn̪d̪a]) and contienen ([kõn̪ˈt̪jenẽn]) 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 15598, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
contienda is recorded at frequency rank #10,119, classified as averb, pronounced [kõn̪ˈt̪jẽn̪d̪a]. contienen is at rank #5,479, tagged as averb, pronounced [kõn̪ˈt̪jenẽn].
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 15598, this pair ranks #279,500 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of contienda vs contienen
Shared letters: ceinot. Private to "contienda": ad. Private to "contienen": -.
"contienda" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVVCCV · "contienen" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "contienda" and "contienen" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "contienda" or "contienen" show up more?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "contienda" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "contienen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #279,500 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "contienda" and "contienen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "contienda vs contiendas". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #279,500 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.