Which to use
“empecé” and “emplee” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #3,842
- “empecé” frequency rank
- #49,607
- “emplee” frequency rank
- 53449
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | empecé | emplee |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de empezar. | Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de subjuntivo de emplear o de emplearse. |
Where the eye mixes empecé and emplee
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. empecé (VCCVCV) and emplee (VCCCVV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: empecé vs emplee
A purely visual mix-up. empecé ([ẽmpeˈse]) and emplee ([ẽmˈplee]) 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 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 53449, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
empecé is recorded at frequency rank #3,842, classified as averb, pronounced [ẽmpeˈse]. emplee is at rank #49,607, tagged as averb, pronounced [ẽmˈplee].
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 53449, this pair ranks #87,810 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of empecé vs emplee
Shared letters: emp. Private to "empecé": cé. Private to "emplee": l.
"empecé" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCV · "emplee" · 6 letters · shape VCCCVV
Known mistypes of this pair
- emplee ← emlpee · emmplee · empele · emple · empllee · empplee · epmlee · meplee
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "empecé" for "emplee" ever safe?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "empecé" or "emplee" show up more?
What to do next
Eye-level mix-up between "empecé" and "emplee" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "empecé" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "emplee" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #87,810 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "empecé" and "emplee" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "empire vs emplee". 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 #87,810 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.