Which to use
“detener” and “detenga” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #3,316
- “detener” frequency rank
- #15,589
- “detenga” frequency rank
- 18905
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | detener | detenga |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Suspender una cosa, impedir, estorbar que pase adelante. | Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de subjuntivo de detener o de detenerse. |
Where the eye mixes detener and detenga
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. detener (CVCVCVC) and detenga (CVCVCCV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Visual trap between detener and detenga
A purely visual mix-up. detener ([d̪et̪eˈneɾ]) and detenga ([d̪eˈt̪ẽŋga]) 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 18905, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
detener is recorded at frequency rank #3,316, classified as averb, pronounced [d̪et̪eˈneɾ]. detenga is at rank #15,589, tagged as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈt̪ẽŋga].
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 18905, this pair ranks #265,980 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of detener vs detenga
Shared letters: dent. Private to "detener": r. Private to "detenga": ag.
"detener" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC · "detenga" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "detener" and "detenga" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "detener" vs "detenga" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "detener" and "detenga" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "detener" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "detenga" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #265,980 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "detener" and "detenga" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "detenga vs detengas". 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 #265,980 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.