Which to use
“distingue” and “distinguir” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #9,804
- “distingue” frequency rank
- #7,147
- “distinguir” frequency rank
- 16951
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | distingue | distinguir |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de distinguir o de distinguirse. | Percibir una cosa en medio de otras, o de circunstancias como el ruido, la oscuridad, etc. que lo dificultan, con alguno de los sentidos. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set distingue and distinguir apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. distingue ([d̪isˈt̪ĩŋge]) and distinguir ([d̪ist̪ĩŋˈgiɾ]) 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 16951, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
distingue is recorded at frequency rank #9,804, classified as averb, pronounced [d̪isˈt̪ĩŋge]. distinguir is at rank #7,147, tagged as averb, pronounced [d̪ist̪ĩŋˈgiɾ].
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 16951, this pair ranks #274,124 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of distingue vs distinguir
Shared letters: dginstu. Private to "distingue": e. Private to "distinguir": r.
"distingue" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVV · "distinguir" · 10 letters · shape CVCCVCCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- distingue ← ddistingue · disitngue · disstingue · distignue · distingeu · distinggue · distinngue · distinuge
- distinguir ← ddistinguir · disitnguir · disstinguir · distignuir · distingguir · distingiur · distinguirr · distinguri
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "distingue" and "distinguir" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "distingue" or "distinguir"?
Remembering distingue vs distinguir
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 “distingue” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable