Which to use
“gobierna” is a noun and “gobiernen” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #9,464
- “gobierna” frequency rank
- #49,041
- “gobiernen” frequency rank
- 58505
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | gobierna | gobiernen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Pieza de metal, ordinariamente en forma de saeta, que se coloca en lo alto de las torres u otros edificios de modo que pueda girar alrededor de un eje vertical y señalar la dirección del viento. | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de subjuntivo de gobernar o de gobernarse. |
Where the eye mixes gobierna and gobiernen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. gobierna runs 8 letters (CVCVVCCV) against gobiernen's 9 (CVCVVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between gobierna and gobiernen
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: gobierna is [goˈβ̞jeɾna] while gobiernen is [goˈβ̞jeɾnẽn]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 58505, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
gobierna is recorded at frequency rank #9,464, classified as anoun, pronounced [goˈβ̞jeɾna]. gobiernen is at rank #49,041, tagged as averb, pronounced [goˈβ̞jeɾnẽn].
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 58505, this pair ranks #66,203 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of gobierna vs gobiernen
Shared letters: beginor. Private to "gobierna": a. Private to "gobiernen": -.
"gobierna" · 8 letters · shape CVCVVCCV · "gobiernen" · 9 letters · shape CVCVVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "gobierna" for "gobiernen" ever safe?
Which is more common, "gobierna" or "gobiernen"?
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 "gobierna" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "gobiernen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #66,203 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "gobierna" and "gobiernen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "gobierne vs gobiernen". 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 #66,203 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.