escucharvsescuchéWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#1,089
“escuchar” frequency rank
#4,891
“escuché” frequency rank
5980
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature escuchar escuché
Definition Prestar atención a lo que se oye. Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de escuchar.

Where the spellings diverge

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

8 ch
escuchar
7 ch
escuché

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. escuchar ([eskuˈt͡ʃaɾ]) and escuché ([eskuˈt͡ʃe]) 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 5980, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

escuchar is recorded at frequency rank #1,089, classified as averb, pronounced [eskuˈt͡ʃaɾ]. escuché is at rank #4,891, tagged as averb, pronounced [eskuˈt͡ʃe].

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 5980, this pair ranks #312,113 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of escuchar vs escuché

Shared letters: cehsu. Private to "escuchar": ar. Private to "escuché": é.

"escuchar" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC  ·  "escuché" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • escucharecsuchar · esccuchar · esccuhar · escucahr · escucchar · escucharr · escuchhar · escuchra

Frequency comparison

escuchar#1,089
escuché#4,891

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "escuchar" and "escuché" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([eskuˈt͡ʃaɾ] versus [eskuˈt͡ʃe]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "escuchar" or "escuché"?
"escuchar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,089 in our Spanish list, against #4,891 for "escuché". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering escuchar vs escuché

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 “escuchar” 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