Which to use
“despertó” and “despierte” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #8,104
- “despertó” frequency rank
- #13,020
- “despierte” frequency rank
- 21124
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | despertó | despierte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de despertar o de despertarse. | Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de subjuntivo de despertar o de despertarse. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set despertó and despierte 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. despertó ([d̪espeɾˈt̪o]) and despierte ([d̪esˈpjeɾt̪e]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 21124, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
despertó is recorded at frequency rank #8,104, classified as averb, pronounced [d̪espeɾˈt̪o]. despierte is at rank #13,020, tagged as averb, pronounced [d̪esˈpjeɾt̪e].
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 21124, this pair ranks #256,308 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of despertó vs despierte
Shared letters: deprst. Private to "despertó": ó. Private to "despierte": i.
"despertó" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCCV · "despierte" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- despierte ← ddespierte · depsierte · desiperte · despeirte · despieret · despierrte · despiertte · despietre
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "despertó" and "despierte" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "despertó" or "despierte"?
Remembering despertó vs despierte
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 “despertó” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable