Which to use
“desempeñar” and “desempeñaron” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #12,582
- “desempeñar” frequency rank
- #41,299
- “desempeñaron” frequency rank
- 53881
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | desempeñar | desempeñaron |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Recuperar algo previamente empeñado (dejado como garantía de un préstamo), eliminando la deuda antes contraída. | 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 desempeñar 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. desempeñar ([d̪esẽmpeˈɲaɾ]) 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 extra letter(s) - “desempeñar” sits inside “desempeñaron”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 53881, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
desempeñar is recorded at frequency rank #12,582, classified as averb, pronounced [d̪esẽmpeˈɲaɾ]. 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 53881, this pair ranks #85,796 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of desempeñar vs desempeñaron
Shared letters: ademprsñ. Private to "desempeñar": -. Private to "desempeñaron": no.
"desempeñar" · 10 letters · shape CVCVCCVCVC · "desempeñaron" · 12 letters · shape CVCVCCVCVCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "desempeñar" and "desempeñaron" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "desempeñar" or "desempeñaron"?
Remembering desempeñar 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 “desempeñar” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable