Which to use
“fíjate” and “fije” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #9,126
- “fíjate” frequency rank
- #17,968
- “fije” frequency rank
- 27094
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fíjate | fije |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Segunda persona del singular (tú) del imperativo afirmativo de fijarse (con el pronombre enclítico). | Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de subjuntivo de fijar o de fijarse. |
Where the eye mixes fíjate and fije
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence. fíjate runs 6 letters (CVCVCV) against fije's 4 (CVCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses fíjate with fije
A purely visual mix-up. fíjate ([ˈfixat̪e]) and fije ([ˈfixe]) 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 27094, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
fíjate is recorded at frequency rank #9,126, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈfixat̪e]. fije is at rank #17,968, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈfixe].
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 27094, this pair ranks #228,482 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of fíjate vs fije
Shared letters: efj. Private to "fíjate": atí. Private to "fije": i.
"fíjate" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV · "fije" · 4 letters · shape CVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- fije ← ffije · fiej · fijje · fjie · ifje
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "fíjate" and "fije" mean the same thing in a sentence?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "fíjate" or "fije" show up more?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "fíjate" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "fije" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #228,482 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "fíjate" and "fije" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "fideo vs fije". 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 #228,482 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.