matastevsmetisteTell them apart

Which to use

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

#30,148
“mataste” frequency rank
#23,865
“metiste” frequency rank
54013
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature mataste metiste
Definition Segunda persona del singular (tú, vos) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de matar o de matarse. Segunda persona del singular (tú, vos) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de meter o de meterse.

Where the eye mixes mataste and metiste

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. mataste and metiste follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (CVCVCCV). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.

7 ch
mataste
7 ch
metiste

Look-alike desk: mataste vs metiste

A purely visual mix-up. mataste ([maˈt̪ast̪e]) and metiste ([meˈt̪ist̪e]) 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 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 54013, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

mataste is recorded at frequency rank #30,148, classified as averb, pronounced [maˈt̪ast̪e]. metiste is at rank #23,865, tagged as averb, pronounced [meˈt̪ist̪e].

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 54013, this pair ranks #85,213 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of mataste vs metiste

Shared letters: emst. Private to "mataste": a. Private to "metiste": i.

"mataste" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV  ·  "metiste" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • mataste ← amtaste · maatste · mataset · matasste · matastte · matatse · matsate · mattaste
  • metiste ← emtiste · meitste · metiset · metisste · metistte · metitse · metsite · mettiste

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "mataste" for "metiste" ever safe?
No. They are said differently ([maˈt̪ast̪e] versus [meˈt̪ist̪e]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "mataste" vs "metiste" - which ranks higher?
"metiste" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #23,865 in our Spanish list, against #30,148 for "mataste". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

After this comparison

Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.

  • Full dictionary entry for "mataste" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "metiste" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #85,213 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "mataste" and "metiste" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "mataste vs miraste". 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 #85,213 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list