detectavsdetestaWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“detecta” and “detesta” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#16,816
“detecta” frequency rank
#30,868
“detesta” frequency rank
47684
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature detecta detesta
Definition Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de detectar. Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de detestar.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set detecta and detesta apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
detecta
7 ch
detesta

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. detecta ([d̪eˈt̪ekt̪a]) and detesta ([d̪eˈt̪est̪a]) 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 a single letter - c in “detecta” becomes s in “detesta”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 47684, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

detecta is recorded at frequency rank #16,816, classified as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈt̪ekt̪a]. detesta is at rank #30,868, tagged as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈt̪est̪a].

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 47684, this pair ranks #118,672 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of detecta vs detesta

Shared letters: adet. Private to "detecta": c. Private to "detesta": s.

"detecta" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV  ·  "detesta" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • detectaddetecta · deetcta · detceta · detecat · deteccta · detectta · detetca · dettecta
  • detestaddetesta · deetsta · detesat · detessta · detestta · detetsa · detseta · dettesta

Frequency comparison

detecta#16,816
detesta#30,868

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "detecta" and "detesta" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([d̪eˈt̪ekt̪a] versus [d̪eˈt̪est̪a]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "detecta" or "detesta"?
"detecta" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #16,816 in our Spanish list, against #30,868 for "detesta". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering detecta vs detesta

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 “detecta” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list