escribísvsescribisteWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#40,814
“escribís” frequency rank
#16,330
“escribiste” frequency rank
57144
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature escribís escribiste
Definition Segunda persona del singular (vos) del presente de indicativo de escribir o de escribirse. Segunda persona del singular (tú, vos) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de escribir o de escribirse.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set escribís and escribiste apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
escribís
10 ch
escribiste

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. escribís ([eskɾiˈβ̞is]) and escribiste ([eskɾiˈβ̞ist̪e]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 57144, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

escribís is recorded at frequency rank #40,814, classified as averb, pronounced [eskɾiˈβ̞is]. escribiste is at rank #16,330, tagged as averb, pronounced [eskɾiˈβ̞ist̪e].

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 57144, this pair ranks #71,663 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of escribís vs escribiste

Shared letters: bceirs. Private to "escribís": í. Private to "escribiste": t.

"escribís" · 8 letters · shape VCCCVCVC  ·  "escribiste" · 10 letters · shape VCCCVCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • escribisteecsribiste · esccribiste · escirbiste · escrbiiste · escribbiste · escribiset · escribisste · escribistte

Frequency comparison

escribís#40,814
escribiste#16,330

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "escribís" and "escribiste" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([eskɾiˈβ̞is] versus [eskɾiˈβ̞ist̪e]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "escribís" or "escribiste"?
"escribiste" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #16,330 in our Spanish list, against #40,814 for "escribís". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering escribís vs escribiste

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 “escribís” 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