Which to use
“desempeñan” and “desempeñaron” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #20,649
- “desempeñan” frequency rank
- #41,299
- “desempeñaron” frequency rank
- 61948
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | desempeñan | desempeñaron |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de desempeñar o de desempeñarse. | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de desempeñar o de desempeñarse. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set desempeñan and desempeñaron apart are highlighted. They share 10 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. desempeñan ([d̪esẽmˈpeɲãn]) and desempeñaron ([d̪esẽmpeˈɲaɾõn]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 61948, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
desempeñan is recorded at frequency rank #20,649, classified as averb, pronounced [d̪esẽmˈpeɲãn]. desempeñaron is at rank #41,299, tagged as averb, pronounced [d̪esẽmpeˈɲaɾõn].
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 61948, this pair ranks #53,726 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of desempeñan vs desempeñaron
Shared letters: ademnpsñ. Private to "desempeñan": -. Private to "desempeñaron": or.
"desempeñan" · 10 letters · shape CVCVCCVCVC · "desempeñaron" · 12 letters · shape CVCVCCVCVCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "desempeñan" and "desempeñaron" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "desempeñan" or "desempeñaron"?
Remembering desempeñan vs desempeñaron
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 “desempeñan” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable